Engaged Graduate Student Grants
English Textbooks for Shan Speakers
Creating linguistically and culturally appropriate English textbooks for the Shan community
Current English teaching materials available to the Shan community are inaccessible to Shan-speaking students. This is because the materials are often not available in Shan or use cultural references that are not appropriate for the speakers needs. Mary Moroney is working with community partners in Shan State, Myanmar, and Chiang Mai, Thailand, to produce English textbooks specifically designed for Shan speakers. The creation of this textbook will improve Shan speakers’ access to English education materials that are suited for students with their linguistic and cultural background. Through the production of the textbook, Moroney is conducting an in-depth linguistic analysis of Shan, which is essential to her dissertation research.
Topics: Access, Equity and Justice; Culture, Language and History; Education
The Team
- Graduate student: Mary Moroney, linguistics
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Special committee chair:
Miloje Despić, Department of Linguistics
College of Arts and Sciences
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Special committee chair:
Sarah Murray, Department of Linguistics
College of Arts and Sciences
- Community partner: Shan Education Commission