Language Centres at a Crossroads

The aim of this workshop is to introduce the Generation Z concept and its significance as I believe that the ability to discover our students' interests is the key ingredient of raising a successful, critically thinking and independent generation.

With the rise of technology, teaching has been evolving rapidly. However, the fact that learners are changing even more, is often neglected. To briefly characterize Generation Z, they are individuals born approximately after 1995, who, having grown up with the use of technology, are capable of not only handling it well, but also using it effectively to access information. This can become an obstacle for teachers who are trying to interest their students in the subject matter in an innovative way.

First, I intend to introduce the rising generation of learners and their characteristics which might help the participants gain more insight. In order to make language learning relevant, it is crucial to know our "audience" so that the whole educational process is more meaningful to them. The workshop will also focus on implementing certain new methods into our teaching to be specifically applicable for Gen Z students.

Next, the interactive part will involve implications for language lessons and how we can tailor them to fit the needs of Gen Z learners. Based on our own experience, we will determine what methods already do and do not work and try to find new ways to invigorate our lessons. It is crucial to look at how Gen Z students obtain and retrieve information and how they prefer to work with them. In the light of these, I would like to share how I use the Internet combined with hard-cover course books with a view to creating a relevant learning environment.

Finally, the participants will engage in different activities (which I will demonstrate) to familiarize themselves with the topics that are relevant to Gen Z and understand why it is so. After attending this workshop, the participants will have basic knowledge of the Gen Z concept and will be able to reflect on their own teaching style, whether it is compatible with their students, and they will also understand the need for adjustment.

To conclude, Generation Z and its role is more important than we might think. If we strive to familiarize ourselves with our Gen Z learners, both sides might become enriched by sharing perspectives not only on learning, but also on life in general.

Tento workshop je zaměřen na roli Generace Z jazykové výuce. Budou zde popsány její základní charakteristiky a jak lze k těmto studentům ve výuce přistupovat efektivně. Dále budou probírány výukové metody, jež mohou zvýšit zájem studentů Generace Z o výuku, a také budou představeny konkrétní jazykové materiály a aktivity, které specificky korelují s jejich potřebami. Náplní workshopu je nejen krátký teoretický vhled do problematiky této generace a jejího vztahu k jazykům a výuce, ale také společné hledání způsobů, jakými lze dosáhnout vzájemného pochopení a nalezení vhodného učebního stylu. Učební styl, který jsme používali dosud, může a nemusí studenty rozvíjet, proto je důležité objevovat případné nové směry pro oživení našich jazykových hodin. Tento workshop si také klade za cíl představit některé nové způsoby učení a přístup k materiálům a aktivitám, které mohou obohatit nejen cílovou skupinu, ale i nás, učitele.

References:

• Dimock, M. Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins [Online]. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://pewrsr.ch/2szqtJz
• Seemiller, C., & Grace, M. (2016). Generation Z Goes to College. John Wiley.

Mgr. Lucie Procházková graduated from Masaryk University, having earned a degree in Teaching English for Secondary Schools. She has worked in education for more than six years. Her current position is an English language instructor at the Faculty of Informatics at Masaryk University. Over the span of nearly a decade, she has worked with preschool children, teenagers, university students and adults - with different language levels and abilities. Due to intensive contact with young IT students for the past year, her interest in the young generation, labelled as "Generation Z", has sparked curiosity about her learners. Apart from work at university, she spends time with young people at a Scout Group and volunteers in a local church community.