21st Century Skills: Interdisciplinary Themes

21st Century Skills Interdisciplinary Theme: Health Literacy*

*the following definition is taken directly from the ACTFL 21st Century Skills Map (p. 5)

Health Literacy. Language learners are engaged in a value-added activity as they can address global health and environmental issues in the target language and understand materials that were written for native speakers of that language.  They have access to information because they can understand the language and can thus engage in global discussions on health, environmental, and public safety issues and can prepare for careers in these fields.

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21st Century Skills Interdisciplinary Theme: Civic Literacy*

*the following definition is taken directly from the ACTFL 21st Century Skills Map (p. 5)

Civic Literacy. Language learners become aware of the judicial, legislative, and government functions of the target language country(ies) and are able to compare and contrast those with the civil liberties and responsibilities in the U.S. Because they can communicate in the target language, they are able to engage in discussions about and participate in activities in which they discuss civic life in their respective countries.

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21st Century Skills Interdisciplinary Theme: Financial, Economic, Business, and Entrepreneurial Literacy**

*the following definition is taken directly from the ACTFL 21st Century Skills Map (p. 5)

Financial, Economic, Business, and Entrepreneurial Literacy. Students in language classes learn about financial and economic issues in the target language culture(s) and are able to compare and contrast with those of the United States.  According to the Committee for Economic Development (CED), “…cultural competence and foreign language skills can prove invaluable when working on global business teams or negotiating with overseas clients.” In addition, the changing demographics in the U.S. make language capability a requisite for interacting with non-English speaking communities domestically as well as internationally. Those who are able to communicate with others in their native language will naturally feel more empowered to negotiate with those around the world as they engage in entrepreneurial activities

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21st Century Skills Interdisciplinary Theme: Global Awareness*

*the following definition is taken directly from the ACTFL 21st Century Skills Map (p. 5)

Global Awareness. Language education and cultural understanding are at the heart of developing global awareness for students. In order to understand and address global issues, it is important to understand the perspectives on the world that speakers of other languages bring to the table.  By learning other languages, students develop respect and openness to those whose culture, religion and views on the world may be different. Language students are able to interact with students from the target language in order to discuss issues and reach solutions.

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