SUSAN CROSBIE (UNIVERSITY OF SAVANNAKHET)
THIRD CULTURE KIDS – GROWING UP IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD : LOCALIZATION AND GLOBALIZATION IN ELT
This workshop introduces Third Culture Kids – TCKs, children of expatriates who grow up in a culture other than the culture of their parents. A TCK could grow up in the same culture as one parent while attending an international school in that home country. Often TCKs are not raised in one country. Their parents are sometimes on short-term contracts, so TCKs are uprooted from their schools and friendships as their families move around the globe. The plus side is TCKs are often flexible and easily adapt to change; they are exposed to global issues; many can readily discuss a variety of subjects. A TCK could have a passport from any country, but home is everywhere and nowhere – global citizens with experience and knowledge, and at the same time, global citizens without a ‘country’. They are emerging global citizens with identities rooted in people instead of in places. They are flexible, tech-savvy, collaborative, challenged, and educated with 21st-century learning outcomes. They are future leaders. Participants in the workshop will participate in small group discussions and exchanges about TCKs, plus enjoy opportunities to share experiences and strategies. Takeaways include classroom strategies and acknowledgment of the cultural diversity that TCKs bring.
Dr Susan Crosbie has a doctorate in education from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA. Currently, she is an English Language Fellow for the US Department of State at Savannakhet University in Savannakhet, Laos. In her spare time, she enjoys snorkeling, kayaking, walking on the beach, and playing tennis.