Iris Su
About
Iris Su holds a BA English, MA TEFL and MA Education Management & Policy. She has 20 years of ELT experience as a teacher, trainer, curriculum writer and public speaker. She is also Cambridge CELTA and YL Extension qualified. She previously worked at British Council Myanmar, Stamford International University Thailand and Oxford University Press. She is currently working at the British Council and Rajamangala University Thailand. Iris is currently focusing on research topics on Gender and Education studies in Thai-Myanmar borders.Sessions
All Levels How to Train Young Brilliant Minds to be Culturally Aware Using Graded Readers more
Sat, Sep 6, 10:30-11:15 Asia/Tokyo
Research has shown that children who are exposed to Extensive Reading from a young age not only excel in academic skills, but also develop empathy, moral judgement and become culturally sensitive. Equipping students to explore diverse perspectives has never been more crucial in this day and age. Bennett (1986) proposes six stages of acculturation that learners can move through to gain greater cultural awareness. With constant exposure, they develop their own personal ideas, ultimately assimilating the culture of others into their own worldview. In this presentation, we will explore theories of “Cultural Development” and the cultural trajectories in the students’ learning journey to assimilation using themes from Eli’s Real Lives Series Graded Readers as a stepping stone. At the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of how to utilise Graded Readers for all CEFR levels.