Power of Language 1

The Power of Language

Alyson Tong

Los Angeles Pacific University

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The Power of Language

There is no doubt that language is powerful in many ways especially now in the 21st

century. Today we use language and its many forms more than ever. Every day people are

speaking, writing, and reading and the importance of literacy has never been more emphasized.

This pushes our teachers to understand the moral imperative to develop their student’s literacy in

and out of the classroom. 21st century skills in language are imperative to a student’s future as

today’s society requires the skills of communication, critical thinking, creativity, and

collaboration to succeed. Bilingualism is seen more as a skill than a fault and dual language

learning is becoming more prominent and accepted. Teachers must see the ethical and spiritual

implications of failing to develop their student’s literacy in today’s society.

Language development starts early in the newborn stages of life. At this age babies are

already recognizing speech sounds, and this is fostered into preschool age where they develop

vocabulary, semantics, syntax and pragmatics. It is a teacher’s job to guide this growth and help

students further develop their language and reading skills. In the 21st century technology has

brought reading and writing into everyday life more than ever, forcing the need for strong

literacy to be successful. Biddle (2012) states “a populace incapable of reading the Bible and

understanding the concepts of civil society— is one that will be ill-equipped to play their parts in

society as moral people engaged in improving the world.” This is just one of many statements

proving the importance of language development for students however, this statement also poses

the important aspect of the spiritual implications of studying language, the thought that lacking

the skills to read or comprehend the Bible would lead to a world lacking of moral compass.

Biddle(2012) further shares that illiterate students who lack the skills necessary for the 21st

century are “less likely to be able to play sophisticated, thoughtful roles in discussing issues that
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face our communities and thinking through ideas that make or break civilizations.” Thus,

proving why collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity, better known as the

4 C’s of 21st century language skills, are critical for well-educated children of the future.

These skills foster not just language skills but important skills that are necessary for the

21st century. Davila et.al (2017) explain that teaching the 4 C’s will provide students with the

skills to “Perform independently and with groups in a technologically advanced atmosphere. Be

ready for daily, global interaction. Be cable of adaptive, flexible and creative thinking and

understand how to plan for, build, and include collaboration with peers.” It falls on the teachers

to foster and guide the development of these critical skills and that means that classrooms have

had to adjust. Greenberg (2016) states “The 21st century will require knowledge generation, not

just information delivery, and schools will need to create a “culture of inquiry” that is shared

equally by teachers and students.” Aside from the 4 C’s, Bilingualism is another skill that is

becoming a prominent and necessary asset to students and their future. Dual language learning

schools are becoming more popular in todays society, and although it is known that students who

are having to learn a 2nd language are academically behind their peers at first, learning a second

language is a 21st century skill that will help them in the future. “Every call to action to prepare

our students for the 21st Century includes offering them the opportunity to learn languages other

than English and increase their knowledge of other cultures.” (Theisen, et.al, 2010) Having the

knowledge of other languages around you creates the ability to communicate and sympathize

with the cultures of those languages, giving students the capability to be strong future leaders.

As a future teacher I understand that I have a moral imperative to develop these skills in

my students. I know that every student will contribute to our world one way or another and it is

my job to give them the skills to give them their best chance for success. My student’s success
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relies on their development of literacy. There language development should be a top priority as it

is the skill, they will rely on most in life. Language goes so far beyond just what we speak as it is

not only how we communicate, but how we express emotions, make connections, foster

independence, develop thoughts, and develop confidence. I plan to do my best in fostering

language development in my students by implementing a strong communication policy and

encouraging my students to work with one another before coming to me. I plan to approach my

students with the belief that my job as a teacher is to guide and create that “culture of inquiry”

(Greenberg, 2016) with in my classroom. Like, Biddle (2012) I passionately believe that it is all

teachers jobs “to take on the challenge of overhauling American public education and improving

literacy for all children.”

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References

Biddle, R. S. (2012, July 30). The Moral Imperative of Literacy. Retrieved April 26, 2020, from

https://dropoutnation.net/2011/06/16/moral-imperative-literacy/

Davila, S., Cleeve, R., Roslaniec, A., & Pope, N. (2017, June 28). 21st century skills and the English

language classroom. Retrieved April 26, 2020, from https://www.english.com/blog/21st-century-

skills/

Greenberg, J. (2016). Teaching Children to Think: Meeting the Demands of the 21st Century.

Retrieved April 26, 2020, from http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles/Teaching-Children-

to-Think--Meeting-the-demands-of.aspx

Theisen, T., Fulton-Archer, L., Sauer, T., Small, H., Smith, M., & Abbott, M. (2010). World

Languages 21st Century Skills Map. Retrieved April 26, 2020, from https://www.actfl.org/