Andrew Boon and Intan Pradita

An old Chinese proverb states that ‘The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water moulds itself to the pitcher’. In other words, there is a need for us to adapt to change rather than resist it. Traditionally, English language education focused primarily on helping learners develop the linguistic skills required to read, listen, speak and write effectively in the L2. However, it is now widely recognised that learners also need to develop a broader set of competencies to adapt to and succeed in academic study, work and everyday life. These competencies, commonly referred to as 21st century skills, include...