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All Levels Do not record or livestream this session Presentation (45 minutes)
From Foreign to Familiar: Making Graded Readers for Thai Learners
Graded readers are essential for language acquisition, but their effectiveness depends on quality stories, linguistic accessibility, and cultural relevance. While many graded readers exist, few are tailored to specific local cultures. Many stories are based on Western norms, which may not resonate in non-Western countries. This presentation focuses on developing graded readers for Thai learners of English, considering their cultural perspectives, reading preferences, and linguistic challenges. Drawing from a project funded by The Fundamental Fund, Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), the session explores narrative styles, familiar themes, cultural frameworks, interests, and vocabulary needs that align with Thai sensibilities. It also discusses how the materials from this project align with the Thai National Curriculum to enhance motivation and comprehension. The session provides practical insights for educators, publishers, and curriculum designers looking to create engaging and culturally sensitive reading materials.
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Suparuthai is the Director of the Language Institute, Burapha University, Thailand. She is a committee member of the Thailand Extensive Reading Association (TERA), where she works to promote extensive reading practices in schools. Her current research project focuses on developing and implementing graded readers to enhance English language learning across Thailand.
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Dr.Thongsan is a lecturer at the Department of Western Languages and Linguistics, Mahasarakham University. She is a current director of Mahasarakham University American Corner where extensive reading is actively promoted. Also, she serves as a secretary for Thailand Extensive Reading Association (TERA).
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A lecturer in English language teaching at Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University and an active member of Thailand Extensive Reading Association. She is a PhD candidate at Thammasat University, researching picture-text integration in graded readers and its impact on cognitive load and comprehension in EFL learners. Her work focuses on optimizing extensive reading materials for diverse English proficiency levels.
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Dr. Rob Waring, is Emeritus Professor at Notre Dame Seishin University in Okayama and Visiting Professor at Thammasat University, Thaland. He is an acknowledged expert in Extensive Reading and vocabulary acquisition. He has published over 80 articles and has given hundreds of lectures, plenaries and featured speaker presentations in 32 countries. He is an Executive Board member of the Extensive Reading Foundation responsible for the promotion of Extensive Reading globally. He is also author and series editor of a six series of graded readers by various publishers and has recently published Teaching Extensive Reading in Another Language with Paul Nation.