In a recent video for the Let’s Talk English series, I argued that English was the most important subject on the school timetable.
Of course, I wasn’t suggesting that all other subjects are irrelevant. Far from it. We need to teach students a broad and balanced curriculum to prepare them for future success.
We should aim to create Renaissance men and women with background knowledge in lots of disciplines so they understand the world around them. Knowledge begets knowledge. The more you know the easier it is to know more.
But of all these important subjects, English – I argued – was the most important because the English language is how students process and acquire knowledge and skills. It is how students communicate outside of school, giving them a voice, ensuring they are heard and understood, it connects them with people from different cultures and backgrounds, fostering global understanding and collaboration.
And let’s not forget, it’s also the primary language of the internet, of scientific research, and of technological advancements, not only enabling students to access a vast array of information, news, and resources online but giving them the skills to critically evaluate information from various sources, to detect bias and fake news while also giving students the ability to express themselves confidently, articulate their thoughts and opinions, and engage in meaningful discussions.
English is intrinsically real and relatable – it talks to students’ lives and explores the human condition. But that’s not to suggest we cannot make English lessons even more real and relatable. Here are some practical suggestions to help us do that:
Building new knowledge on existing knowledge
Teach English curriculum content within meaningful contexts and ensure new knowledge builds upon existing knowledge and talks to students’ lived experiences. We can use analogies to compare new abstract information to what is familiar and concrete. We can use real-life scenarios, such as ordering food in a restaurant, shopping, or planning a holiday.
Be real
Create interactive activities where students engage in role plays or simulations. We could simulate a job interview, a customer service scenario, or a debate on a current issue. Also, incorporate authentic materials like blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, and songs. These expose students to genuine language usage, cultural nuances, and current topics of interest.
Tell stories
Present information in a narrative format to help students remember it more easily. Narratives help to create a sense of context and meaning around the information – thus creating ever-more complex schemas. Schema is the background knowledge and experience readers bring to a story. Good readers often draw upon prior experiences to help them understand what they are reading and make connections. Every learner has experiences, knowledge, opinions, and emotions that they can draw upon. I have written previously in SecEd about the stories we tell in the classroom.
Encourage students to share their own stories
Encourage students to bring their own experiences and interests into the classroom. We can engineer discussions that allow students to express themselves. For example, students can write about their favourite hobbies or give presentations on topics they are passionate about. This personal connection enhances their engagement and makes the learning process more meaningful.
Show the subject’s relevance beyond the classroom
Show students how English is used beyond the classroom. Highlight its relevance in everyday life, career opportunities, and global communication. Explain how English is used in international business, travel, technology, and entertainment. This helps students to understand the importance and practical value of learning English.
Remember schema theory
By making use of schema theory, we connect the texts we study in class to other texts we have studied previously, to students’ own lives and experiences, and to the wider world – to social, cultural, and historical contexts.
Schema theory is a cognitive theory that explains how people organise and understand information in their minds by making it real and relatable.
Keene and Zimmerman in their 1997 book Mosaic of Thought conclude that students comprehend better when they make three kinds of connections:
- Text-to-self: When readers make personal associations between a story and their own lived experiences.
- Text-to-text: When readers are reminded of other texts they have read, other books by the same author, other stories from a similar genre, or perhaps on the same subject.
- Text-to-world: When readers make larger associations between a text and the world beyond their own lived experiences from knowledge that might have been garnered from television/film, newspapers, the internet, etc.
Making connections can occur naturally but it’s best not left to chance. Rather, we should encourage students to make connections by modelling the process for them and by prompting them. The following prompts, among others, may be of use.
Text-to-self
- What aspect of my own life does this remind me of?
- In what way is this similar/different to my own life and experiences?
- Has something like this ever happened to me?
Text-to-text
- What other books that I have read does this remind me of?
- In what way is this similar/different to other texts I have read?
- Have I read anything by this author/in this genre/on this subject before?
Text-to-world
- What aspects of the real world does this remind me of?
- In what way is this text similar/different to events in the real world?
- What I have read/seen/been told about the real world that’s relevant here?
But beware: as Harvey and Goudvis caution, in their book Strategies That Work: Teaching comprehension to enhance understanding (2000), merely making connections is not enough because students may make tangential connections that confuse and distract them from the curriculum content in hand.
Accordingly, students need to be challenged to analyse how their connections are contributing to their understanding of the text if we are to make English real and relatable for them.
But why does all this matter?
When students can see the immediate relevance and application of what they are learning, they become more engaged and enthusiastic about that learning.
When learners can connect new knowledge with their own experiences, it creates stronger neural connections, leading to better retention.
By using authentic materials and real-life scenarios, students develop practical communication skills. They learn how to navigate conversations, express themselves in different contexts, and understand English speakers from various backgrounds.
And integrating culture into lessons fosters cultural competence and empathy. Students gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for different cultures, fostering global citizenship and intercultural communication skills.
Representation matters, too. If our students cannot see themselves reflected in our curriculum choices, they may conclude that the curriculum – and indeed school in general – is not for them. If they do not see their own lives in the content we teach, in the books we read, in the examples we use, and in the language we speak, they may also conclude that they have no place in our world.
By being real and relatable, English lessons can ensure students leave school as well-rounded, cultured, inquisitive, caring, kind, resilient, knowledgeable human beings ready to make their own way in the world. And what better legacy can we bequeath our next generation?
- Matt Bromley is an education journalist, author, and advisor with 25 years’ experience in teaching and leadership including as a secondary school headteacher. He remains a practising teacher. Matt is the author of numerous books on education and co-host of the award-winning SecEd Podcast. Find him on X (Twitter) @mj_bromley. Read his previous articles for SecEd via www.sec-ed.co.uk/authors/matt-bromley
Further information & resources
- Matt’s video on which this article is based is part of Pearson’s Let’s Talk English series. You can watch the series via http://tinyurl.com/5bzpmx59