Supporting students’ c It might seem a commonplace observation that the world in which children and adolescents are currently growing up is changing rapidly, but in an educational context it should be viewed as a pressing concern. In the context of the current polycrisis, three recent UNICEF studies focus on these changes: The Changing Childhood Project (UNICEF 2021a), which explores these transformations on a more general level, The State of the Worlds’ Children 2021 report (UNICEF 2021c), which highlights mental health challenges faced by young people, and the Prospects for Children in the Polycrisis (UNICEF 2023), which analyses how current events specifically impact children. These studies clearly show that the impact of the polycrisis on children’s and young adults’ mental health is immense, but that, amongst other aspects, schools can serve as protective factor. Particularly The State of the Worlds’ Children 2021 report (UNICEF 2021c) hints at the potential role resilience can have in this context not only in coping with adversities, but also be more prepared in these uncertain times. The indication seems to be that children and young adults should not only be afforded the “responsibility, but also the voice, freedom, and agency” to shape their future (UNICEF 2021a). Considering the role English has as a lingua franca in this interconnected and changing world, one of the challenges is how English (as a foreign) language education can support language students in finding their voice and gaining and retaining resilience and communicative agency in times of adversities. Following a dialogical approach, this theoretical-conceptual contribution uses these studies as a starting point to explore on a thematic level what it might require for the language classroom to be a space conducive to supporting students in becoming (communicatively) resilient and being able to respond/ react to events with extreme impact that will shape their lives. - There are various ways of describing the changing times in which children and young people are currently growing up, different concepts that aim to characterise the conditions that shape their lives. But whether the challenges are subsumed under the term ‘polycrisis’ (see, e.g., UNICEF 2023), the acronym VUCA (i.e., volatile, uncertain, complex, ambitious; Bennis & Nanus 1985), contextualised as living in a ‘world of risk’ (Beck 2009), or framed as growing up in times of adversity, the pressing concern remains how educators, curriculum designers and policy makers should/ ought to respond to these challenges. The Changing Childhood Project (UNICEF 2021a), an international poll which interviewed different generations about their views on childhood, reveals that most young adults seem generally hopeful, though wish to be listened to by decision makers. 1 At the same time, though, an overwhelming majority “report greater struggles with mental health” (ibid.: 7), which is also highlighted in The State of the World’s Children 2021 report (UNICEF 2021b). One of the identifiable reasons for these struggles is certainly the COVID-19 pandemic, which not only had and continues to have detrimental effects on the mental health of children and young adults, but also suspended their rights, such as their right to education and mental well-being, for a prolonged time span. However, the pandemic “represents merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to poor mental health outcomes” (Fore 2022: 8). 2 Currently, it is estimated that more than 13% of 10-19-year-olds live with a diagnosed mental disorder, with 40% of these individuals suffering from anxiety and depression (UNESCO 2021c: 10). 3 This should not come as a surprise to educators and curriculum designers, who, by definition, could and should be considered as being part of the child advocacy community. Thus, pressing concerns should be how these findings can be translated into educational policy and curriculum design, how to act with more foresight and how children and young adults can be supported to cope with the adversities they face now and in the future. The State of the World’s 1 The survey was conducted in 21 countries, in each country approx. 1000 people were interviewed between January and June 2021. To ensure a cross-generational perspective, those interviewed where a) young people between the ages of 15-14 and b) people aged 40 and above (UNICEF 2022: 7). The results are both published as part of The Changing Childhood Project as well as an immersive website (changingchildhood.unicef.org). 2 This contribution bases its understanding of both the terms mental health and mental disorder as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO 2022: n.p.) as “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, built relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right [...]”. 3 Please refer to the relevant UNESCO studies for more details. Children 2021 clearly stipulates that “the pandemic also offers an opportunity to build back better”, as it provides “a historic chance to commit, communicate and take action to promote, protect and care for the mental health of a generation” (UNICEF 2021c: 15). This requires (inter)national initiatives to envisage changes in education policies on a larger scale, whole school approaches and curriculum design (Becker 2023). As “UNICEF is the custodian and champion of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which calls on all nations to protect and foster the rights of children to survival, development, protection, and participation” (Masten 2013) and as it focusses on ways of building resilience through work with children and young adults (ibid.), this contribution uses these UNICEF studies as a point of departure. They do not only give a clear insight into the current situation of children and young adults on an international level, but also stress the need for their voices to be heard and for developing resilience and agency. Following a humanistic, learner-centred, and critical approach, this article starts from the premise that the EFL classroom needs to adjust to the changing childhood of learners. Both children and adolescents are “are not objects of education, they are active participants in their own learning through collaboration with adults and peers” (Lyndon 2021: 51). For them to remain active participants’ educators, curriculum designers and policy makers not only need to consider their prospects in the times of polycrisis, but also prepare them for events still to come. The Changing Childhood Project (UNICEF 2021a), for example, unsparingly draws attention to the fact that the climate crisis not only “poses an unprecedented test for humanity, one that demands both cooperation and action”, and that its “burdens will fall disproportionately on the young generation” (ibid.: 55). This should be a call to action for all those involved in school education to engage in efforts to promote resilience. The State of the World’s Children 2021 highlights that resilience “can promote a pathway to promote and protect mental health” (UNICEF 2021b: 86) and demonstrates “that resilience is fundamental to mental health; it is not the goal, but the means to foster mental health” (ibid.: 113). This theoretical contribution joins the efforts of this special issue in its attempt to explore timely perspectives on the role EFL classrooms can play in mental health education by focussing on the concept of resilience. More specifically it will explore on a thematic level the extent to which students can be supported in developing an emergent, or proactive resilience (see, e.g., Bonanni & Diminich 2013), “by proactively finding options for dealing with the notion of uncertainty and any new threat that might come with it in the future” (Matz & Becker 2023: 230). It will develop in three stages: First, it will focus on the concept of resilience at a more general level. Second, it will provide a brief overview of current conceptualization of resilience in the context of language education. Finally, it will suggest that by integrating risk-related discourses, students might be enabled to find their voice and speak about events which they may or may not be able to anticipate but will have an impact on their future lives. It will thus raise the question whether integrating concepts such as Weak Signals, Tipping Points and White and Black Swans in higher level language classroom might be a step towards fostering students’ preparedness and adaptability, which could support students in becoming communicatively resilient. 4 In his article on the relationship between mental health education and the field of English (as a foreign) language education (ELE), Becker explains that this relationship is currently a rather ambivalent one (2023: 223). However, he outlines the potentials and “points of departure for the development of mental health literacy [MHL] on a linguistic, textual, cultural and discursive level” (ibid.: 223) and his analysis clearly shows that the subject of English provides a rich theoretical and conceptual foundation for mental health education, as it offers points of departure for the development of mental health literacy on a textual, cultural, and discursive level. (ibid.) Language education in schools usually takes place when children and adolescents attempt to find their place in the world, when they “must navigate their way through rapid physical and emotional changes, growing responsibilities and evolving relations with family and peers” (Chandy & MacKenzie 2022: 5). In the German context, pupils tend to start in year 3 (appr. 8 years of age) in primary school, complete their compulsory education, of which English is an inherent part, in year 10 (approx. 15 years of age) and higher secondary around the age of 18 in year 13. During this school time, they thus progress from A1 to about B2/ C1 level and are expected to be able to participate in different types of discourses within many different topic areas. The binding educational guidelines, standards, and frameworks have mostly followed the same principles of communicative language teaching and (inter-)cultural learning as first described in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR, Council of Europe 2001; see Matz 2020). So, while their language classrooms and the binding guidelines that shape those classrooms may not have changed much during the last 20 years, the world they live in certainly has. In line with UNICEF, this contribution conceptualises the time in which children and adolescents 4 It is important to note that this paper cannot be considered exhaustive, but rather as a contribution to discussions about how language learning and teaching can be reimagined in times of adversity. This theoretical conceptualisation is limited in scope and has not yet been applied to teaching practice. currently grow up as a polycrisis, that is, “the presence of multiple nearsimultaneous shocks, with strong interdependencies among them, taking place in an ever-more integrated world” (2021c: 6). Thus, language education should also take on the critical responsibility in preparing students to deal with such crises. Before conceptualising resilience in the context of ELE, it seems important to establish a clear understanding of what is meant by the term ‘resilience’ within the context of this article, as “the ubiquity and everwidening scope of the concept of resilience in policy and everyday conversation belies its contested meaning” (Lewis, Omerod & Ecclestone 2021: 20). 5 Resilience is an elastic and contested concept, which has its roots in very diverse fields ranging from engineering and ecology to psychology (Grove 2018: 33): Ecologists, psychologists and engineers all assume that the world is fundamentally unstable: it is filled with uncertainties and disturbances that cannot be prevented. In ecology, a resilient system is enmeshed in a series of complex cross-scalar interrelationships and feedback loops that generate exogeneous disturbances, such as invasive species or environmental calamities. In psychology, the individual is embedded within a wider social, cultural and political and economic environment that can generate trauma, such as an abusive family member or abject poverty. In engineering, a technological system is subject to external stress and shocks that disrupt normal systemic functioning. As Masten (2019: 201) points out, in the face of “natural disasters, war, political conflict, and increasing awareness regarding possible consequences of adversity in childhood for health and well-being in adulthood”, the interest in human resilience surges. In very general terms, resilience can be defined as the capacity of a dynamic system to adapt successfully to disturbances that threaten system function, viability, or development. The concept can be applied to systems of many kinds at many interacting levels, both living and nonliving, such as a microorganism, a child, a family, a security system, an economy, a forest, or the global climate. (ibid.) 5 This overview neither can nor does claim to be comprehensive. In the context of this contribution, the focus is on human resilience in the context of education. It leaves out other areas of research such as ecology, engineering and more in-depth psychological studies, etc. In outlining its understanding of resilience, UNICEF explicitly links it to children’s rights and thus “aims to build individual and societal resilience and advance the rights of every child”: In “today’s volatile world, global efforts to limit the severe impact of disasters on children must rise to the level of crisis” (UNICEF 2022: 8). According to UNICEF, resilience is the “ability of children, young people, households, communities and systems to anticipate, prevent, withstand, manage and overcome cumulative stresses and shocks (e.g., natural hazards, epidemics, socio-economic instability, conflict, climate change” (ibid.). Although UNICEF itself does not make the distinction between an individualised, functional and a critical understanding of what is meant by resilience, their conceptualisation certainly does not overlook “the social and economic context and the forms of adversity and hardship which give rise to the need for resilience” (Lewis 2021: 24). 6 In the context of this article and as a first interim conclusion, it is important to note that “the resilience of an individual depends on resilience of interconnected systems” and that the “resilience of an individual is not limited to the capacity that person can muster alone. Indeed, much of human resilience is embedded in relationships and social support” (Masten 2019: 201). Against this background, the question is which support language education can lend in this regard and how it can foster the ability of children and young adults to anticipate stresses and shocks. In the context of language education, resilience also appears to be a “travelling concept” (Matz & Becker 2023: 229), as it has been conceptualised from very different perspectives of which three will be briefly outlined: Firstly and most prominently, resilience has quite recently gained interest in the context of positive psychology research (see, e.g., Gabryś-Barker & Gałajada 2016), and appears to be largely understood in a functional way. 7 As Capstick states, “providing learners with the skills to take responsibility for their own mental health forms the foundation of resilience building approaches in ELT” (Capstick 2018: 211). Studies have thus largely focussed on resilience in relation to “other positive character strength” and “their potential to influence learners’ success” (Hiver & Mercer 2022: 208) 6 Lewis stresses that conceptualisations of resilience can also be in danger of being used in a moralising way, “requiring people to demonstrate resilience as a matter of personal responsibility” (ibd.). 7 This approach certainly has its values and “can be instrumental, if mental health (or productivity) is sought in negative circumstances (i.e., stressful test-oriented environments)” (Jackson 2022: 51). In line with an inherently critical approach, however, Jackson stresses that while such approaches “may help students achieve goals and engage in pro-social behaviour [...], they may not lead to more just environments, if students are not also encouraged to reflect on social practices”. as well as whether resilience is tied to learners’ motivation (see, e.g., Wang & Liu 2022). Secondly, resilience has also been conceptualised in the context of supporting newly arrived refugees in learning the language(s) of their new host countries. According to the conceptualisation by Capstick and Delaney, language learning might thus build resilience “whether it is giving a voice to young people and adults, building social cohesion in host communities, or providing individuals with the skills they need to access work, services, education and information” (Chadwick 2018: 04). 8 While the latter focusses on specific groups, the former emphasises the individual learning experience. A third approach views resilience in the context of cultural learning to support students more generally in developing not only both individual and social resilience, but also ‘communicative resilience’, which is defined as “the ability to continuously negotiate and adapt one’s identity through communicative acts (in a foreign language) in an everchanging globalised world” (Matz & Becker 2023: 233). In an initial conceptualisation and following a critical and human rights education informed approach, Matz and Becker analysed what this could entail with regards to the areas of knowledge, skills, and character. As their focus is on creating a language classroom which could serve as a space where children’s and young adults’ concerns and needs are heard, where they can (learn to) engage with risks and find solutions to them in a global society of risks, this contribution will expand on this third concept. In terms of knowledge, for example, Matz and Becker suggest that “students could learn to understand events related to risks which will have repercussions across the world” (ibid.: 233), while in terms of abilities one of the learning aims could be to “engage in risk assessment” and “construct meaning and become active parts in meaning-making processes” (ibid.: 234). The overall aim would be to support students in developing “a readiness mindset as they begin to learn to live with the anticipation of uncertainty” (ibid.: 235). All of these learning goals could be pursued in speaking more concretely about individual risks, anticipating concrete events and learn to take part in the discourses connected to them. Admittedly, the role that language education can play in terms of supporting the resilience of students may be a small one, albeit a relevant one. According to Masten (2019: 202), protective factors in building resilience “include effective caregiving and other supportive relationships, problemsolving and self-regulation skills, self-efficacy and optimism, and beliefs that life has meaning”. The key challenge is to identify the contribution 8 Capstick: bilingual resilience-building model (2018: 211). that language teaching can make in this context. In terms of cultural learning, it could certainly not only contribute towards assisting students in problem-solving, but also in approaching risks which might manifest as shocks and unforeseen events in a constructive manner. It might thus help students in developing foresight, preparedness, and adaptability, which are particularly valuable in this uncertain environment (UNESCO 2023: 8). On a thematic level, especially in the higher level EFL classroom, the challenges, possibilities, and opportunities of today’s interconnected and globalized world are often addressed, as English is a lingua franca of globalization. This broader sociological approach could serve as a starting point for more advanced students to examine the current polycrisis more thoroughly. It could thus aid in raising students’ awareness of the present conditions that shape their lives, both positively and negatively, as well as helping them prepare for the future. When analysing the current polycrisis and attempting to predict other future events, risk research turns to concepts and metaphors that describe risks in form of actual events. These include, for example, Tipping Points, Weak Signals as well as White, Grey and Black Swans. They can be envisioned along a spectrum ranging from the capacity to foresee these occurrences to the extent of their consequences. The term Black Swan 9 was coined by Taleb (2010 [2007]) to refer to events that adhere to the following three aspects: 1) they are statistical outliers, exceeding normal expectations, as historical data provides no compelling evidence for their occurrence, 2) such events have a significant impact, and 3) despite their deviation from the norm, they can be retrospectively explained and predicted (also see Glette-Iversen & Aven 2021: 1). Grey Swan events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, are quite similar to their black counterparts to the extent that they are rare, but are generally modellable, whereas White Swans are comparably easy to predict and can be anticipated based on forecasting. The emerging climate breakdown certainly counts as a White Swan, as it “climate change is exactly the experience we can expect to have” (Read 2022: n.p.). The metaphor of Tipping Points also often occurs in the context of the climate crisis and describes “emerging trends that participate irreversible, systemic effects if they pass a threshold” (UNICEF 2023: 45). Finally, at the beginning of the spectrum, are the so-called Weak Signals, which can be defined as “data points that augur an emerging trend” 9 The metaphor of the Black Swan itself dates approximately back to the 16 th century to describe the impossible, as prior to the Dutch expedition to Western Australia in 1697, black swans were unknown in Europe (see, e.g., Taleb 2010). Glette-Iversen and Aven (2021) also discuss the metaphors Dragon-King and Perfect Storm, which are excluded for brevity’s sake from this contribution, but could also be included in lessons. (UNICEF 2023: 45). Students can learn to easily detect Weak Signals in their own immediate surrounding when paying close attention to the trends discourses may follow on their social media feeds. Similar to Weak Signals and Tipping Points, White, Grey and Black Swan events are not necessarily negative in nature. In the context of the climate crisis, for example, heightened awareness of the imperative to take action could be regarded as a Weak Signal. Detecting such signals can be crucial in anticipating Tipping Points before they occur. Positive Black and Grey Swan events certainly take time in demonstrating their effect (such as discoveries in the field of decarbonisation). As part of its annual Global Outlook reports, UNICEF hosts youth foresight workshops, uniting young people from around the world. They concentrate not only on trends currently relevant to their lives, but also explore Weak Signals and Tipping Points, as well as White and Black Swan events using English as a common language. They not only concentrate on potentially negative events, but also explore positive consequences and their approach centres on shaping their concerns constructively and communicatively. One of the central premises of this work is that the trends and events which are agreed upon and summarised in these reports “should not be viewed in isolation from each other, nor will their impact be felt within only one dimension of child well-being” (UNICEF 2023: 45). The 2023 report Prospects for Children in the Polycrisis thus calls for “transformative change and collective action” (ibid.: 49) and stresses that changes are “first and foremost needed in the way we anticipate and manage global risks” and that “[c]hildren and young people must be central to this process: Their efforts and their aspirations need to guide us in our pursuit of a brighter future” (ibid.: 50). These reports, with their focus on promoting awareness and agency, could provide a foundation for enganging with potential risks, conflicts, but also opportunities for societal change in language classes: They are not only shaped by young adults, they could also be read with young adults. Introducing these concepts and metaphors of Weak Signals and Tipping Points, as well as White, Grey and Black Swan in this way would certainly mean confronting students with such events rather than avoiding speaking about them. However, adopting UNICEF’s constructive approach would prevent students from being overburdened. Instead, the emphasis ought to be on cultivating students’ ability to consistently negotiate and adjust their own opinions, standpoints, and perceptions, as well as their resilience in anticipating trends and agency in adapting to circumstances. In discussing the need to approach education for sustainable development in the language classroom, Römhild argues “that the language classroom may become a space of hope by offering stories of hope, change, and transformation to help learners envision a better future and take communicative action towards these futures” (Römhild 2023: 1). He stresses the need to “focus on learning and practicing languages of hope and advocacy”, as language classrooms are” predestined to invite learners to envision hopeful futures in which the human rights of others are protected by everyone, and work towards these futures on a communicative level” (Römhild 2023: 25). In its consequence, this would call for a more interdisciplinary and project-based approach. Education will inevitably become more challenging due to the polycrisis and its affordances, and within this wider context, every area of education, every subject must consider how it can contribute to students’ well-being, resilience, and mental health. It seems important to remember that a crisis is not only an opportunity to rethink and reshape existing structures, it “is not only an opportunity to change but also a reminder of failure” (UNICEF 2023: 6). 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