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Maggy Brusselmans & Matthias Verdoodt

How to queer your English lesson?

Audience focus: Teachers of adolescent learners, Teachers of adult learners, Teacher trainers, Freelance teachers

Abstract

Belgium is regarded as one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world. It legalized same-sex marriage in 2003, allowed same-sex adoption in 2006 under the same terms and conditions as heterosexual adoption, and since 2007 transgender people can officially change their legal gender. But what is the situation like for students at secondary schools?
Unfortunately, Flemish secondary schools are still very heteronormative places and LGBTQIA students often hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity out of fear of negative responses from other students and/or teachers. A lot of secondary school teachers show a very positive attitude towards LGBTQIA topics, but do not always know how to address them in the classroom.
The workshop ‘How to queer your English lesson’, will give you some background information on the topic and will provide insight into how English Language Teaching books are becoming more inclusive. Moreover, you will learn how to create (more) inclusive material for your English lessons. At the end of the workshop, some student teachers will present inclusive lesson material encouraging you to follow suit!

Biographies

Maggy Brusselmans works as an English teacher educator at the Multidisciplinary Institute for Teacher Education at the VUB. She has 24 years of experience in secondary and adult education. In June 2021, she successfully completed the ‘Study of the United States Institutes for Secondary Educators’ at ITD Amherst and obtained a grant to organize the workshop “How to queer your English lesson?”.

Matthias Verdoodt works as a German teacher educator at the Multidisciplinary Institute for Teacher Education at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
He has 6 years of experience in secondary and adult education. His personal interest in inclusive teaching made him co-operate in the organization of this workshop.