6. Communication and voice

Communication and voice

What is globalisation?

• Young people communicate effectively to different audiences and are able to get complex messages and ideas across appropriately.
• Young people actively listen to others.
• Young people voice ideas and opinions, and justify and defend these ideas and opinions. They understand how to influence others. 

The aim of the activity is to open a reflection on the meaning and the consequences of globalisation at global and local levels.

Invite each learner to write on a sticky note or piece of paper five adjectives describing globalisation according to their personal understanding.

Tell learners to share in groups of five what they wrote on the paper or sticky notes and to discuss the reasons behind their choices. They must then write a joint definition of globalisation.

Bring the groups back together and, in plenary, ask a representative of each group to present that group’s definition. Take notes on the blackboard of the main features which are repeated in different presentations.

Place a small selection of chairs in a circle in the middle of the room – one chair per group – and ask each group to nominate a representative to come and sit in the circle and “advocate” for them. The representatives must promote their group’s definition of globalisation as well as agreeing on the three main features of the term on behalf of the whole class.

In this way the class will have reached a common definition of globalisation from the negotiation among the groups’ representatives.

Plenary debriefing:

• How was the individual reflection process? Why did you choose those words as the main features?
• How was the process of defining common features to write the joint definition in small groups? Who took the leadership in the group? Who was more persuasive? Why?
• What was it like to advocate for your group? What was it like to observe the negotiation? Who influenced the negotiation process the most?
• Which is the connection between globalisation and what happens in our everyday life at local level?
• How does globalisation affect peace among countries of the world? What might it mean for environmental sustainability?
• What is our role as consumers in the globalised world?

Communication and voice

Speak up!

I listen to others.

I defend my ideas and opinions in order to influence others.

I actively listen to others and disagree in ways that do not discourage others

I state and defend my ideas and opinions, arguing rationally and persuasively from an informed position.

I understand communication is a two-way process and actively listen and take on board others’ ideas.

• Scoring grid for communication and voice.
• Materials needed for the chosen communication forum (for example, presentation software and equipment, flip charts, computers, art materials).

You will need to have selected an issue for learners to communicate about, preferably one that they have learnt about. You will also need to organise a forum in which they can communicate, for example, a community event, exhibition, school assembly, blog or Twitter feed. 

1. Explain to learners that they are going to raise their voice about an issue they have studied and that they are going to communicate their ideas about this issue to a real audience.
2. If learners have not yet had time to learn about the issue, this needs to be done before you start the communication activity, but preferably with learners knowing that they will be communicating about it afterwards.
3. Ensure learners are aware of the main factors to consider when communicating their ideas to an audience. You could show them the communication scoring grid in advance to help with this.
4. Make sure learners understand that the purpose of the communication is to share their own opinion about the issue, and also (possibly) what they think can or should be done about it, and by who.
5. Tell them that, if possible, they should try to influence others who can help (see “How can you make a difference?”)
6. Depending on the issue, either discuss and agree with learners an appropriate audience, or ask learners to choose one depending on what they want to say (for example, local community event/school assembly/class speech/online blog or Twitter feed/art posters/brochures).
7. Give learners time to prepare their communication for the medium chosen.
8. When learners present their communication, mark this using the communication and voice scoring grid.
9. You can either ask them to peer-assess each others’ work (e.g. by pairing learners and asking them to score each other’s) or you can mark the work yourself using the grid.

1. This activity would be highly complementary to a language/literacy lesson.
2. It is important the communication is based on a real issue not a hypothetical one, and that the audience being communicated with is also real. This can be in a small way – for example, a class talk – but it reinforces that global citizenship is about real situations and young people’s real responses.
3. The scoring grid is only suggestive – you can modify it as appropriate to your class