Teaching 21st Century Skills with New Matrix

Natalia Kozlova, school 6,

Balakhna, N.N. region

Teaching Tasks

to develop students’ individual ability to think outside the box;

to find solutions to possible problems;

to collaborate and reach a consensus across cultural and national borders

5 Essential Strategies

get your students lead the learning; create an inquiry – based classroom

environment; encourage collaboration; develop critical thinking skills; encourage creativity.

Teaching with New Matrix Can teaching with New

Matrix develop any of 21st Century skills?

How can it be done in the teaching environment where English is not the first language?

New Matrix: Writing Skills understanding the task type; planning; choosing an appropriate style; using correct spelling, grammar and

punctuation; writing the right number or words; checking / proof reading.

New Matrix Intermediate: Varieties of Writing Task Types E-mail; A letter giving advice; A description; A formal letter; An essay ‘for and against’; A letter of enquiry; A story; A message and an informal letter; A discursive composition; A formal letter of application.

An opinion essay

ExamplesA Letter Giving Advice An Essay “for and against”

My questions What are the peculiarities of these types of

writing in New Matrix? How is the idea of four C- skills, especially

Critical thinking, implemented there?0

A Letter Giving AdviceWriting skills What students do 21st Century skills

creativity critical thinking

Understanding the task type Read and understand a short pre-story (who, when, where, what).

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Planning Make notes for each of the points on the list.

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Choosing an appropriate style Decide how to write each paragraph; set the best order for their paragraphs; decide how to begin and end the letter

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Using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation

Imagine they are Jim reading the letter and check that their punctuation and grammar are correct; they have spelled words correctly. If necessary, they use a dictionary.

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Writing the right number of words Write 120-150 words. +

Checking / proof reading Imagine they are Jim reading the letter and check that it is easy to understand; they have included all the information Jim needs; their letter is written in an informal, friendly style; they have written 120-150 words.

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An Essay “for and against”Writing skills What students do 21st Century skills

Creativity Critical thinking

Communi-cation

Collabora-tion

Understanding the task type Work in small groups. Look at two composition types and decide which composition they prefer to write.

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Planning Brainstorm their ideas about the fame and wealth. Make notes. Make a list of three or four points for and against the expressed view. Decide which paragraph(s) each student will write.

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Choosing an appropriate style Choose an impersonal style. Decide how they will begin and end their composition; what link words they will use. Write their own paragraph(s) on a small piece of paper. Arrange their paragraphs in order on a large piece of paper.

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Using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation

Check their spelling, punctuation and grammar. If necessary, they use a dictionary.

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Writing the right number of words

Write 200-250 words. +

Checking / proof reading Read through their composition and check that the paragraphs are in the correct order; they have written in an impersonal style; they have used suitable linking words to introduce their points for and against and their conclusion; they have written between 200-250 words.

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Conclusion We can encourage our students to begin

to think more critically, to ask questions and seek answers, and to express themselves creatively.

A list of used articles Vilina C. Critical Thinking in your lessons – It’s easier than you think!//

http://oupeltglobalblog.com Vilina C. 5 Ways to Prepare Your Students for the 21st Century //

http://oupeltglobalblog.com Gude K. Making Your Mark with Matrix. OUP: RELOD – 2003. New Matrix Intermediate / Английский язык. Новая Матрица: учеб. для

9 кл. общеобразоват. учреждений / К.Гуд, Дж.Уайлдмен, Е.А.Хотунцева. – М.: OUP: Изд. «РЕЛОД», 2008. – 160 с.

New Matrix Intermediate Teacher’s Book/ Английский язык. Новая Матрица: Книга для учителя к учеб. для 9 кл. общеобразоват. учреждений / С.Бетертон, К.Гуд, А.Конибер, Дж.Уайлдмен, Е.А.Хотунцева. – М.: OUP: Изд. «РЕЛОД», 2008. – 160 с.