BREAKING STEREOTYPES IN THE LEARNER'S MIND

This presentation explores the stereotypes in the minds of learners studying English as a second/foreign language, and provides suggestions for what every English course book should do. It will discuss the follwoing points:

1. Definitions of stereotypes
2. What learners see in their subconsciousness
3. Examples of stereotypes from course materials
4. How stereotypes enter coursebooks
5. Reasons for repairing stereotypes
6. Ways to recognize stereotypes in course materials
7. Suggestions for repairing stereotypes

It will largely depend on related literature and English course materials taken from different publishers and being used in various places where English is taught as a second/foreign language. This presentation will open to various definitions of stereotypes, and examples of stereotypes related to the culture of the East. After that, various kinds of stereotypes seen in the course materials will be explored along with examples for each kind. Then, this discussion will look at how these stereotypes enter course materials, and how they are recognized. Finally, this presentation will address the why and how of repairing stereotypes in course books.