Teaching English Today- The 4 Cs and beyond

Follow Teaching English Today- The 4 Cs and beyond
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

We’ve all heard of the 4 Cs – collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication –, but what if there were other key skills and qualities? What about the power of curiosity, the value of empathy and the need for grit? Join me – and my guests – as we delve into these core skills in this podcast series and work out just what their importance is for students of English.

Louise Carleton-Gertsch


    • May 21, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 19m AVG DURATION
    • 42 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Teaching English Today- The 4 Cs and beyond with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Teaching English Today- The 4 Cs and beyond

    Episode 42: Critical engagement with social media

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 18:27


    Attention has become a valuable commodity, especially on social media platforms that use sophisticated algorithms designed to keep us hooked. In this episode we'll be looking at why this is especially challenging for young people, whether all screen time is created equal, and what we can do in the classroom to help students think more critically about how they use social media.

    Episode 41: The climate crisis & the need for agency

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 15:54


    Today, the climate crisis is fundamentally reshaping the planet. And it is the younger and future generations that will bear the brunt of this. In this episode we will be looking at how we need to help young people develop a global mindset as well as agency - in its different modes - to be able to face the challenges ahead.

    Episode 40: Learning to ask better questions

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 16:29


    Most of us don't ask enough questions, good questions. This is not only central for effective communication but also critical and creative thinking. In this episode we'll be looking at different types of questions, how we can learn to ask better questions, and importantly, what can be done to further this in the classroom. Listen in to find out more!

    Episode 39: Using AI: Let's not outsource our thinking!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 14:26


    Whether at the BETT show or the International Day of Education, AI is a hot topic right now. It's no longer coming, it's here and changing how we teach and learn. Listen in to find out how we can help students navigate AI without losing their critical thinking skills or agency, why AI literacy and search literacy are essential, the importance of understanding how students use AI, as well as why we need to focus on the process not just the end product.

    Episode 38: The power of self-awareness

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2024 17:24


    Self-awareness is a core component of emotional intelligence - yet most of us overestimate how self-aware we truly are. In this episode we'll explore what self-awareness is, how it affects us and our work, the importance of changing the questions we ask ourselves, and what students can do to improve their selfawareness to influence their learning outcomes.

    Episode 37: Fostering democratic competence

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 16:16


    Many people view voting as fundamental to being a good citizen, yet voter turnout is on the decline. In this episode, we'll be exploring the concept of democratic competence, focusing on the key values, attitudes, skills, and knowledge necessary for its development. We will also be looking at practical ideas and activities for fostering this vital competence in the classroom.

    Episode 36: What makes you curious?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 15:29


    Have you heard of the five dimensions of curiosity? Do you know what its benefits are? Are you interested in finding out what can be done to promote it in the classroom? Come and join me to find out more!

    Episode 35: Working together: keys to effective collaboration

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 18:31


    Today, working in teams is the norm. But why is it that some teams click and others don't? What lies at the core of effective collaboration? In this episode we'll be looking at two key components that come up in studies time and again. We'll also be exploring how we can help students to become more effective at working together.

    Episode 34: Back to school with 21st century skills

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 17:58


    As the new school year begins, it's the perfect time to think about how 21st century skills can be integrated into the classroom. In this episode, I'll be sharing practical ideas on how to do so, including ways to support student agency, strategies for effective communication when giving and receiving feedback, and a few activities to practise noticing - a prerequisite for creativity and critical thinking. I'll also be looking at how we can help students to engage their critical thinking skills when dealing with photos on social media. Welcome back!

    Episode 33: Crafting compelling stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2024 15:56


    Memorable talks often include stories because they help establish a bond between the speaker and audience. To do so effectively, stories need to be chosen and crafted with the audience in mind. In this episode we'll be looking at how to considered, the structure, the importance of authenticity, and where to find inspiration.

    Episode 32: 21st century skills & UK schools

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024 34:04


    In today‘s episode I am joined by Matthew Lovett, a former headteacher, now an inspector of schools in England and school governor. He shares insights into a couple of major changes in education in England over the past years, some differences between the independent and state sectors, the growing need for critical thinking skills, a student-led approach to teaching engineering in a prep school, why trainee doctors are being taught art, the importance of debating, and the current state of language teaching among other things. Do listen in to hear what he has to say!

    Episode 31: Creativity, innovation & design thinking

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2024 17:32


    Creativity and innovation are key components of design thinking, a human-centered approach to creatively solving problems. In this episode we'll be looking at what exactly design thinking is, the phases involved in the design thinking process, the kind of mindset people need, and how this creative process can be supported and used in the classroom.

    Episode 30: 21st century skills & crafting AI prompts

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2024 15:47


    Since ChatGPT's emergence, there have been a lot of debates as to whether to ban it in schools. But does it really hinder critical thinking, problem-solving skills and student agency as some have claimed? On the contrary! In this episode we'll be looking at how these skills are essential for crafting effective AI prompts and evaluating the responses presented by the AI chatbot.

    Episode 19: Is anyone listening?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2024 19:50


    In this episode we'll be taking another look at the key skill of listening. Why is it that many of us tend to overestimate our listening abilities? What does being a good listener really entail? What can we learn from negotiators and journalists? And, of course, what can we do with students to help them focus and listen better? Join me to find out more!

    Episode 28: Storytelling, students & social media

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2023 31:23


    In this episode the English and psychology teacher Katharina Wendrich joins me for a chat about storytelling, students and social media. We delve into how stories can help young people to discover who they are, how social media has changed the way we tell certain stories, how to help students deconstruct stories on social media, using Shakespeare to understand how perspectives can be manipulated, the importance of creating an emotional connection with your audience, as well as other ways to help students think more deeply about their stories and posts. Weiterführende Links: Macbeth: https://www.klett-sprachen.de/macbeth/t-1/9783125782150 Romeo and Juliet: https://www.klett-sprachen.de/romeo-and-juliet/t-1/9783125782167

    Episode 27: The need for global competence

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 19:43


    As the world becomes increasingly interconnected and interdependent, the importance of global competence has come to the fore. In 2018 it was even included in the PISA assessment test. In this episode we'll be looking at what it is, how it differs from intercultural competence, factors that are key for its development, as well as at some thinking routines that can be used in the classroom.

    Episode 26: Communication: establishing a connection

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2023 16:38


    The ability to communicate effectively is one of the mostsought after skills today. Yet even though we spend so much time sharing our ideas, we are not always able to get our message across clearly. Come and join me to find out how communication skills can be improved, what top business leaders do to get their ideas across, why non-verbal communication skills are key, as well as a few ideas for how this can be done in the English-speaking classroom.

    Episode 25: Learning for life

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 14:16


    Today, everybody is talking about the importance of lifelong learning. Yet what does it actually entail? In this episode we'll also be exploring the attributes lifelong learners have, to what extent it is possible to cultivate these traits, and why it is important to lay the foundations early on.

    Episode 24: Adaptability: the key to navigating change

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2023 16:27


    Adaptability is considered vital for the future since technological changes are disrupting work as we know it. But why is it key? Can it be measured? To what extent can we learn to become more adaptable? And why is unlearning so important? Listen in to find out more!

    Episode 23: Human flourishing in the 21st century

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 17:03


    Today, our world is changing at such a rapid pace that it is difficult to know what the future of work might look like. So how can we best prepare young people for what is to come? Experts are now talking about redirecting our focus towards human flourishing to equip young people with the skills and attitudes they will need to navigate these changes. But what does human flourishing actually mean? What skills and attitudes does this encompass? And, of course, how can we incorporate some of this into the English-speaking classroom?

    Episode 22: Critical thinking in the age of digital and AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2023 18:17


    In today's digital world, we need critical thinking more than ever. The ability to be able to judge the credibility of sources and formulate plausible hypotheses are key. So what can we learn from professional fact checkers? What happens if we delegate search tasks to AI chatbots like ChatGPT? And what implications might this have for the classroom? Listen in to find out more!

    Episode 21: Embracing new challenges – ChatGPT

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2023 30:22


    ChatGPT has been causing quite a stir. But what can really it do? What are its limitations? What might it mean for students and how will it affect the skills that they need in the future? To find out more, I chatted to a software engineer at a news organisation in the UK.

    Episode 20: Empathy revisited

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2023 16:50


    Empathy has been described as the psychological “superglue” that connects people, yet today it is in decline. In this episode, I'll be looking at why this is, its importance, what steps we can take to cultivate it, as well as a few ideas for the classroom.

    Episode 19: Putting skills into action

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2022 23:47


    Students came together at the Creators Camp in Coburg this summer to draw up and present an idea for the school of the future. It was an event that saw students having to put 21st century skills into action as they worked towards a common goal. I visited one of the initiators, headteacher Ursula Kick-Bernklau, to find out more about this fascinating project and how 21st century skills are incorporated into everyday life at her school.

    Episode 18: Leadership – inspiring others to be their best

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2022 16:05


    Leadership is about being inspired and inspiring others. It numbers among the top ten job skills for the coming years. In this episode we'll be looking at the difference between leaders and managers, what all good leaders have in common, which other skills leadership entails, and how we can help students to develop some of these in the classroom.

    Episode 17: Creative thinking – it's all about ideas

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2022 17:40


    Creative thinking is a process that we use to generate or iterate on ideas. It is an essential skill, especially if we are to tackle the issues confronting us today. In this episode we'll be looking at what creative thinking entails, different types of thinking and how to support the creative thinking process.

    Episode 16: Global citizenship

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2022 16:21


    The concept of global citizenship has come to the fore in recent years, as countries and cultures have become increasingly interconnected and interdependent. People have realised we urgently need to stop focusing on individual and local perspectives and to consider global implications and contexts. In this episode we'll be looking at what global citizenship is and what it entails, how young people view it, as well as some activities that can be done in the classroom to foster it.

    Episode 15: Intercultural competence

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2022 20:16


    The need for intercultural competence has never been greater and it's considered essential in global business environments. Developing it takes time because it's a complex process that involves other core skills such as listening and empathy.In today's episode we'll be looking at what intercultural competence entails, the different stages we go through as we develop it, as well as its importance for the English classroom.

    Episode 14: Sharing ideas: the importance of presentation literacy

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2022 20:57


    Today, the ability to share our ideas through effective presentations is absolutely key. But many of us are frightened of speaking in public. So, what can we do to conquer this fear? In this episode we'll also be looking at some of the different formats we have for sharing our ideas, why every presentation begins with the audience, and how we can help students to develop their presentation skills.

    Episode 13: Connecting through storytelling

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2022 19:22


    Storytelling is in our genes. We have always used stories tounderstand the world around us. And in the 21st century, we need them more than ever to be able to share our ideas and inspire others. Join me to find out how the storyteller's brain connects with the listener's, what makes an effective story, as well as a few ideas for storytelling in the classroom.

    Episode 12: Digital literacy Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2022 19:37


    Digital literacy is not just about knowing how to find and consume information, it's also about creating and communicating. But the choice of media will depend on the target audience and our purpose. In this episode we'll be looking at some of the different media on offer, as well as steps students need to take when creating and communicating using digital means.

    Episode 11: Digital literacy Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2022 18:18


    What does it mean to be literate in today's world? How can we help students to confidently navigate the digital sphere? In this episode we'll be looking at three key steps we need to take and how we can help students to become better at validating knowledge online.

    Episode 10: Exercising agency

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2022 20:23


    Leaner agency is not only important for school but essential for life-long learning. It's not a quality that we are either born with or not, but an ongoing process that unfolds over time. In this episode we'll be looking at what it entails, other qualities that are key, as well as how its development can be supported in the English-speaking classroom.

    Episode 9: The power of grit

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021 17:50


    Grit has been shown to play an important role in why people succeed. But what is it that makes some people grittier than others? In this podcast we'll be looking at the role resilience plays, how a growth mindset is key and some strategies for building grit that also work in the classroom.

    Episode 8: Stepping into someone else's shoes: empathy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021 26:19


    Empathy is considered one of the most important resources we have. But what is it? What habits do highly empathetic people have, and how can we learn to develop greater empathy? In this episode I'll also be talking to the Englishteacher Andrea Holler about how she encourages empathy in the classroom.

    Episode 7: The art of listening

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 19:05


    In this podcast we'll be exploring the art of listening, a skill that many people feel is sorely neglected today. We'll be looking at what makes a good listener, why active listening is key, and how to help students to hone the skill that is at the root of all (language) learning.

    Episode 6: Finding common ground: communication

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2021 21:08


    Today, we are used to communicating across a range of media on a regular basis. But this does not mean that it's something we do well. Join me to find out what happens to our brains when we communicate, which factors hinder effective communication and what this means for the English classroom.

    Episode 5: Working towards a common goal: collaboration

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2021 22:05


    Collaboration is about the process of working together towards a common goal, and it's essential in today's world. But working well in a team and having a shared mindset do not necessarily come naturally to us. This is because effective collaboration requires a range of qualities and skills. The good news is that students can already begin to hone them in the classroom. Listen in to find out more!

    Episode 4: At the heart of being human lies creativity

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2021 20:23


    Creativity is central to who we are as humans. It's not only essential for our personal and social wellbeing but is also a skill that is in great demand. Come and join me as we look at different levels and kinds of creativity, ways we can cultivate it (yes, everyone is creative!) and what we can do to foster it in schools and the English classroom!

    Episode 3: Delving deeper: critical thinking

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2021 24:57


    Critical thinking is one of the most in-demand skills for the workplace today. But what does it actually entail, and how can we train ourselves to become better at it? In this episode, I'll also be talking to the English teacher Jürgen Thamerus to find out how he hones his students' critical thinking skills in the classroom. So why not come and join us?

    Episode 2: It all begins with curiosity

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2021 18:24


    As humans, we are driven by curiosity, the urge to answer the question why. But why is this? What does research tell us about its importance for learning? What can we do to create an environment that fosters curiosity? And what are some of the consequences for teaching English? Come and join me to find out more!

    Episode 1: Introducing the 4 Cs

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2021 14:53


    Who came up with the idea for the 4 Cs? Why are they so important for today's students? Which other skills and qualities will they need? And how does this all inform English teaching today? Come and join me as we explore the answers in this inaugural podcast in the series Learning English Today – the 4 Cs and beyond!

    Claim Teaching English Today- The 4 Cs and beyond

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel