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Małgorzata Zdybiewska
is an ELT teacher trainer at TTC in Radom. She teaches both British and American Studies. Małgorzata was Lead Consultant for the British Council
Culture in ELT Project and one of the contributors for the British Studies Web Pages: http://elt.britcoun.org.pl. Her contributions to the web pages include book reviews, articles and classroom materials. As IATEFL CELT SIG Coordinator she was involved in the organization of many international summer schools for teachers from Poland and other EU
countries. In 2007 she was involved in ?Border Crossing? project. The partners of the project were British Council and CELT Sig. The project included a seminar, film showings and a summer school in Przesieka. |
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Learners as Culture Observers
„Meeting the other is the greatest challenge of the 21st century”
In times of globalisation and frequent direct or indirect encounters with different cultures, intercultural awareness is increasingly recognised as an indispensable component of the foreign language classroom. It is now commonly accepted that the experience of learning a foreign language enriches not only the learner's perception of the country the language of which they are learning but the perception of his/her own language and culture as well.
(Ryszard Kapu¶ciński) In this practical follow-up session I will explore sources and resources in an attempt to show ways in which an intercultural approach can enrich the ELT content and enhance learners' motivation. I also hope to demonstrate how you can foster your learners' skills of cultural observation and interpretation in the classroom in order to help them explore everyday cultural practices, at home and abroad. Based on the experience of the British Studies Web Pages and summer schools organized by CELT IATEFL Sig the developed materials integrate language instruction with elements of intercultural competence training. Their aim is to develop the skills of discovering and interpreting other cultures, other values and beliefs. Modern issues such as identity, immigration, cultural clash and prejudice are explored using drama, films, literature and media. Many of the presented activities and materials were inspired by Ruth Cherrington's and Alan Pulverness's lectures and workshops with whom I had an opportunity to collaborate in various British Council projects and undertakings over the past years. |