A Content-based course: English for smart citizens

Abstract

The data of more than two decades supports content and language integrated learning (CLIL) as an effective way to teach foreign languages. The current design project represents a content-based course developed around the theme of urban living and smart citizenship. The latter is an emerging concept that responds to the challenges of global urbanization. It gradually brought to the fore a notion of active/smart urban citizens who are no longer passive consumers, but participants who contribute to urban problems solving. The course aims at developing the receptive and productive English language skills with the emphasis on communicative skills, as well as critical thinking, and awareness of smart citizenship among high school students of Armenian public schools. Given the fact, that the course is designed to make learning a real-life experience the units cover authentic materials referring to Yerevan. The concept of “smart city” is introduced through a series of authentic video-materials concerning real people and places. The activities and the projects target developing the skills for practical application of the concepts.