SESSION ABSTRACT

One phenomenon resulting from the permanent incoming of new generations into the EFL classroom is the patent necessity for teachers to update their teaching strategies and methodologies to fit the requirements of their ever-changing population of students. The Centennials or Gen Z cohort, (1995-2012) differ from their predecessors in that they are true digital natives, serious-minded, focused, innovative, autonomous, inclusive and pragmatic, as well as socially oriented and committed to environmental care and sustainability. Being Centennials the latter generation joining the classroom, careful attention to their generational characteristics must be given when planning a lesson. In addition to this, the recent change in education due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to the use of technology applied directly to classroom dynamics, which was somewhat favoured by the generational characteristics of Centennials.

Grounded in this understanding, our workshop aims at providing English teachers with the theory and tools necessary for a successful Centennial oriented lesson. To do so, the workshop first explains the main characteristics that this generation shares, fundamental to understand the next section, the planning-framework, which demonstrates the in-classroom strategies, activities and evaluation resources necessary to help design their lessons in our “new reality”. Attendees leave the workshop with resources and websites useful to support themselves should they decide to embark on this current and necessary endeavor. We are confident that, through this, understanding of the importance of generational needs awareness will be raised, and that an adequate and unique approach to achieve it is being talked about and hopefully adopted.