Globalisation: What does it really mean today?
Globalisation has shaped how we work, what we buy and how we connect. However, what does it look like now and is it really ending?
In this two-part lesson, you’ll explore two different aspects of globalisation:
- Part 1 looks at the economic and political changes in the global system
- Part 2 explores cultural identity and what it means to live in a value-diverse world
This is an ideal independent study task for upper-intermediate learners working in international teams or preparing for global careers.
🎧 Comprehension Questions: We’re at the end of globalisation — what’s next?
TED Talk by Mark Leonard
🔎 While you watch:
- 1. What positive changes did the second wave of globalisation bring?
It helped billions escape poverty, improved wage equality and education in some countries, expanded global supply chains, and made communication and work more interconnected.
- 2. Why do some people believe globalisation has failed them?
Because wealth hasn’t been shared equally. Countries like the US and Russia have seen extreme inequality. People feel left out of globalisation’s benefits.
- 3. How did the pandemic expose weaknesses in the global system?
It revealed a lack of global cooperation. Countries competed for resources (e.g. masks), and there was no unified pandemic response.
- 4. What is meant by “a new world order based on values”?
Instead of geography, future collaboration will depend on shared values, such as wellbeing, democracy, or innovation.
- 5. What is the “Wellbeing Economy Governments” group, and which countries are involved?
A group of countries — Scotland, Iceland and New Zealand — focusing on wellbeing, not just GDP, in government policy.
- 6. How might small countries and city-states work together in the future?
They may collaborate more with each other than with their large neighbours, based on shared strategic goals and values.
What do you think?
- How has globalisation changed your job or industry?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in an international team?
- Is globalisation fair to all countries? Why or why not?
- Do you agree that cultural identity has become more complex? Can you give examples?
🧠 Useful vocabulary
Word/Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
Globalisation | Increasing international connection and interdependence |
Inequality | Unequal access to resources, wealth, or opportunity |
Cultural relativism | The idea that no value system is universally right or wrong |
Wellbeing economy | A system that focuses on quality of life, not just GDP |
State control | A government system where the state has strong influence over people and policy |
Geopolitics | How countries interact based on power, influence and strategic interests |
✅ Part 2 — Cultural globalisation and identity
🎥 Excerpted from BBC Archive interview
🔎 While you watch:
- 1. How does the speaker describe the cultural impact of globalisation?
Globalisation has made cultures interdependent — we now live in mixed, multicultural spaces where identities overlap and interact constantly.
- 2. What does he say about people’s sense of identity in the modern world?
People often come from multiple places and carry different cultural experiences. Identity is no longer rooted in a single nation or culture.
- 3. What is meant by the phrase “cultural relativism”?
Cultural relativism means that there is no single universal truth or value system — different cultures have different ideas of what matters, and all are valid within their own context.
- 4. Why does the speaker suggest we are living in a state of “permanent cultural revolution”?
Because the old frameworks for cultural hierarchy and authority have broken down. He says we are in a continuous process of change, with no stable centre.
- 5. What does he say about the relationship between cultural values and power?
He acknowledges that traditional cultural values were tied to systems of power — white, Western, colonial — and that the current collapse of those frameworks opens up space for previously marginalised cultures.
- 6. According to the speaker, why is it difficult to agree on universal values today?
Because values now conflict in serious ways, such as freedom of speech vs. religious beliefs (e.g. referencing the Salman Rushdie affair). These conflicts reveal the limits of relativism.
- 7. What are the risks and possibilities of living in a more fragmented, value-diverse world?
The speaker sees both hope and difficulty: we lose clear reference points, but gain new voices and alternative ways of living that had previously been excluded.
What do you think?
- Do you think having multiple cultural identities is a strength or a challenge?
- In your workplace or country, are there shared values everyone agrees on?
- Have you ever experienced a “clash of values” in a professional setting?
Further discussion questions
- Has globalisation helped or hurt your country or industry?
- Is it easier or harder to work across cultures today?
- What values matter most in your workplace or team?
- Can countries cooperate without sharing the same values?
💼 Want to feel more confident in global discussions?
Our Communication at Work and Business English courses help you improve fluency and confidence in international English — from team communication to complex topics like negotiation, leadership and values.
