‘Voices of teachers: an antiracist view of teaching young learners’

An IATEFL monthly webinar presented by Cláudia Colla de Amorim (recorded December 2023)

ABSTRACT: In this webinar, the presenter shares the voices of Brazilian educators who advocate for an antiracist approach to teaching English. Through her own decolonizing journey as a teacher educator, she provides insights into how educators worldwide, focusing on young learners, can make informed decisions and cultivate an antiracist pedagogy. She presents a sequence of activities designed by Brazilian teachers who are trying to raise awareness of antiracist content at a very early age. This webinar is grounded in Critical Race Theory and the deconstruction of the myth of Racial Democracy. It contextualizes aspects of race and power structures and discuss the need for a culturally responsive curriculum and teacher development programs less focused on whiteness. It aims to emphasize the need to denounce dehumanizing social structures and to announce social transformation. By sharing her voices, the presenter intends to contribute to the understanding of how educational institutions can engage in critical conversations leading to a shift in curriculum design.

PRESENTER: Cláudia Colla de Amorim holds a BA in English Language and Literature from Pontificia Universidade Católica, São Paulo, Brazil, an MA in Languages and Literary Studies in English from Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, and an M.Ed. in Educational Studies from the University Of Oklahoma, U.S.A. She is currently a pedagogical school principal at the English as an additional language department at Escola Móbile, in São Paulo, Brazil. Her main professional areas are: Teaching and learning languages, Teacher Development, Use of Technology in Education, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Multicultural Education, Critical Race Theory, and Race and Ethnicity in Educational Contexts.