The outsider's gaze: a learner-centred approach to language-teaching materials

ISSN： 1469-5790

Source： Educational Media International, Vol.40, Iss.3-4, 2003-09, pp. : 287-292

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Abstract

The Outsider's Gaze is a set of three DVDs for Asian students of Spanish, French and German. The project is an attempt to employ constructivist principles to the development of language learning materials. For students in Hong Kong and China, European languages present problems of relevance and contextualisation: the textbooks and available videos are invariably produced from the point of view of the insider (native speaker) and it is difficult for Asian students to connect the learning experience with their own lives. This article explores the issues involved in creating effective and meaningful learner-centered materials for language students and contrasts this approach to the more common insider's approach. The three sections of the project are described and analyzed in terms of constructivist criteria.