Building Understanding through Language Learning (English – Spanish)

Youth explore how they form and internalize perceptions and how they can work to challenge them. Through language learning activities in English and Spanish, media resources, and authentic global youth stories, youth learn to reflect on their own assumptions, explore the perceptions they encounter in their communities and in the media, and create an action plan for addressing assumptions in themselves and others.

In this course, students will strengthen their skills in the language they are learning, while engaging in activities to build their empathy, action orientation, inter-cultural communication, and global awareness.

Global Nomads uses the power of storytelling to promote empathy and bring social topics to life through day-to-day realities. Participating youth read authentic, impactful stories from youth participants around the world that reveal deep truths about global issues, then enhance the conversation by sharing their own stories with fellow Student to World users. All participants are eligible to participate in moderated live conversations with other English and Spanish language students from around the world.

About The Course

Who
Should Register?

Educators

English and Spanish language educators.

 

Group leaders & mentors

Afterschool English and Spanish language programs and English and Spanish language clubs

Free Courses

Free Courses

Online Access, 4 Learning Modules,

Live Virtual Events, Age 13 – 19,

Content and closed captions in English and Spanish

Register?

Teachers, Educators, & Leaders
Create an account and invite students or youth participants.

Students
If your teacher or group facilitator gave you a code.

Independent Learners
Take a course on your own.

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Text + Video Formats

Experience this content through your choice of learning paths.

Text-based
course

Includes written text, images, videos, and multimedia.

 

  • Engage with dynamic, interactive content
  • Explore multimedia resources 
  • Understand essential vocabulary 
  • Connect through authentic stories shared by real users
  • Become part of the curriculum by sharing your own stories 
  • Learn with text and closed captions in both English and Spanish

Video-based
course

The same content, but explained through video conversations.

  • Video depiction of the course content
  • Closed Captions
  • American Sign Language interpretation
  • Image descriptions
  • Youth narration

Learning
Objectives ​

  • Consider the aspects of a person that they pay attention to when they meet a new person.
  • Learn about the Ladder of Inference and explore the ways they go up the Ladder of Inference.
  • Consider who they frequently come into contact with in their local communities and who they’ve been taught to trust and fear.
  • Know how stories help us connect to one another across distance and difference.
  • Consider media representation and the media’s influences on their everyday lives.
  • Learn how to interrupt and confront assumptions in themselves and others.

Learning
Modules

Module 1:

Everyday Book Covers

Students share the story of a time when they made an assumption about someone and note how they went up each step of the Ladder of Inference, and reflect on the things they were taught that led them to make those steps.

 

Module 2:

Everyday Local Contact

Students write about a time they learned something that challenged their perception about someone who is different from them.

 

Module 3:

Everyday Global Diversity

Students write a script of an imagined conversation between them and someone from another country, including questions that they would ask about that country and the answers to those questions.

 

Module 4:

Everyday Action

Students create a SMARTIE goal to take an action, helping themselves and/or others to challenge their preconceived perceptions.

Standards
Alignments

Common Core Standards

 

ASIA SOCIETY GLOBAL COMPETENCIES:

Investigate the world

Recognize perspectives

Communicate ideas

Take Action

 

21ST CENTURY SKILLS:

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Creativity and Innovation

Information Literacy

Media Literacy

Technology Literacy

Flexibility and Adaptability

Initiative and Self-Direction

Productivity and Accountability

Leadership and Responsibility

 

CASEL SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL:

Learning

Self Awareness

Self Management

Responsible Decision Making

Social Awareness

 

UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

Goal 4: Quality Education

Goal 5: Gender Equality

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Goal 17: Helping governments and stakeholders make the SDGs a reality