Name
Youth unemployment in Europe (2000-2018)
Topic
Contemporary History, Citizenship, English, Political Economics
Learning time
6 hours and 30 minutes
Designed time
6 hours and 30 minutes
Size of class
20 students
Description
The target of this activity is a class of an Italian secondary school of students aged 18-19, e.g. a fourth or fifth year class of a businness technical school. Some of them are from Romania, Albania and Morocco. In this group of foreign students, some of them arrived in Italy just several months earlier, are still learning Italian and do not know English as well as the others. Most students' activities are carried out in English, given very good linguististic knowledge in many cases, in a school multimedia laboratory (Youtube videos, PCs, tablets and a multimedial whiteboard with a big screen will be used). As a History teacher and learning designer, I invited my Economics, English and Law colleagues to participate in the activities, as well as a young journalist from the local press who is particularly interested in school innovation. I had the idea of this learning design considering the need for English mothertongue teachers in Italian schools to increase the quality of English lessons and their serious budget restrictions in recent years, which do not allow headteachers to cover the cost of English mothertongue staff (some of them tried to solve the problem asking students' families for a sort of extra school fee). Therefore I chose to use Youtube videos with recordings of English native speakers, which can be a good alternative in order to expose the students to perfect pronounciation and intonation. In these activities, all learners will watch a few videos about NEET people (Not in Employment, Education or Training) and youth unemployment in Europe, find information online about social, economic and political strategies to reduce it, reflect on them and practice oral comprehension of native speakers contributions (listening comprehension is usually the most difficult skill to acquire for Italian learners). Most students will also take notes and write answers to the teacher's questions. Some learners, in addition, will take an active part in the discussion, write a detailed summary of the topic and draw personal conclusions about the impact of different governments policies on youth unemployment rates across Europe. Even though English is the predominant language in these activities, foreign students will be allowed to use their mothertongues and all the class will listen to them.
Aims
Know about one of the most important socioeconomic problems in some European countries, especially Italy. Be informed about the most effective government policies to increase youth employability. Be aware of unemployment rates and different socioeconomic contexts of foreign countries where some students come from. Improve communicative skills in English and critical thinking. Expose the students to a variety of languages, even the ones they have never heard or paid attention to. Let foreign learners use their native languages not only individually but also during the activities with the others, fostering the common awareness that language diversity is an asset for the class.
Outcomes
Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation, Affective learning outcomes
Editor
federicapantani
Edit
The issue of NEET and youth unemployment in Europe FACE-TO-FACE introduction to the topic by History and Economics teachers (they point out that a variety of languages and cultural backgrounds will be used as an amazing learning tool during different activities and the assessment does not depend on personal linguistic choices. They also explain the main topic and sub-topics and that the subject wil be articulated in several sessions testing different skills and competences)
60 minutes)
  • Read Watch Listen
    60
    1
    2
    1.LISTEN carefully to the brief introduction and then WATCH the Youtube videos on the multimedial whiteboard. Don't worry if you don't understand perfectly the videos content. Don't get stuck on the words you don't understand, try to get a general idea of the topic identifying keywords and guessing the meaning from the context. 2. Now switch on a lab PC and WATCH the second video again with English subtitles (READ) and take notes. As the videos language is English, you'll find it natural to take notes in English, but you can use your native language, if you prefer, or even a mixture of both (you can also pause the video). If necessary, you can ask the English teacher for the meaning of new vocabulary and WRITE a glossary on your personal tablets, if you have them. 3. Now LISTEN only to the audio of the video.
Notes:
If there happen to be any disabled, dyslexic or foreign learners who do not know English well, a teacher for students with special needs should be present to observe the students' behaviour, listen to their comments, meet their needs and simplify the activities according to their language competence.
Resources linked: 0
Improvement of linguistic skills: learning new vocabulary with correct pronounciation (IN GROUPS of 2 students)
60 minutes)
  • Practice
    60
    2
    0
    On the lab PCs, check the script of the previous videos frame by frame, focusing on the English sentences or subtitles (pay attention to possible spelling mistakes). When you find a new word or expression, clarify its meaning with the English teacher's help, add it to your personal glossary on your tablets and memorise it. Then turn on the audio to listen to the word pronounciation and repeat it a few times. The English teacher will pass from group to group to check if you are working well.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Improvement of linguistic skills: answering questions orally FACE-TO-FACE activity
30 minutes)
  • Produce
    30
    1
    0
    I'm going to ask you questions about the videos content. You'll give your answers mostly voluntarily but also on my request.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
How governments can try to solve the problem of youth unemployment ONLINE activity
90 minutes)
  • Investigate
    60
    1
    0
    Reflect on the topic and, with the help of the Economics teacher, surf the net to find information about European governments policies to reduce youth unemployment. The teacher will be able to suggest you some useful institutional or non-institutional sites to visit. Specific task for foreign students (the teacher will not use this expression, as it could sound discriminating, but she will call them by their first names): find out on internet youth unemployment rates in your countries, compare them with others, find information and reflect about their social and economic context. You can visit sites in your native languages and take notes using them.
  • Read Watch Listen
    30
    1
    1
    Now I ask you to watch the Youtube video "How European governments support startup ecosystem". You can take notes and read subtitles in your mothertongue, if they're available.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
The problem of NEET and youth unemployment. Causes, consequences, comparisons with different realities and cultures IN GROUPS
90 minutes)
  • Discuss
    40
    4
    0
    Now work in groups of four and discuss the videos content and the information you found on the internet. You're going to write a summary of your discussion afterwards.
  • Produce
    50
    2
    0
    (The teacher will give instructions to the foreign students to form small groups of two of the same native language, where one of them does not know English well and the other does ): now your classmate A. will tell you something about the topic in Arabic with reference to the socioeconomic context of his/her country and B. will translate it into English. If the translation into English is too difficult, you can choose to use Italian. It doesn't matter if you don't understand anything in Arabic, just concentrate on the sound and the rythm of the language and notice the difference. Then your classmate C. will talk about the issue in Romanian and D. will translate it, finally E. will expose something in Albanian and F. will translate it.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Improvement of linguistic skills and creativity: written summaries and posters IN GROUPS
60 minutes)
  • Collaborate
    60
    2
    0
    Work in pairs to create colourful posters. You have to write brief summaries of the most interesting ideas arising from your discussion. If you prefer, you can write answers to the previous teacher's questions. Write your work on a PC using lots of different colours and styles, add extra visual material such as photos and print it. If you can write in different languages other than English, you're requested to do it. Some of you will assemble all the material produced in a few big colourful posters. This is an activity where you can unleash your creativity: enjoy it!
Notes:
Resources linked: 0

Learning Experience

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