Heritage learners have unique linguistic and cultural backgrounds that require materials tailored to their lived experiences. This presentation demonstrates how the humanistic approach to materials development (Tomlinson, 2023) can make SEALC-sponsored proficiency-based reading materials more engaging and relevant for Vietnamese heritage learners. By incorporating personalization, cultural relevance, emotional engagement, and communicative tasks, we adapted two sets of reading materials to foster greater learner connection and motivation.
The talk will provide concrete examples of how these principles were applied, including localized adaptations, identity-affirming activities, and multimodal tasks that encourage self-expression and deeper cultural reflection. Additionally, students’ feedback (via survey and reflections) will illustrate how these changes enhanced their engagement, comprehension, and sense of belonging. This presentation will also highlight effective strategies for localizing OER materials, the importance of tailoring LCTL resources to heritage learners, and how humanistic principles provide a robust framework for designing and evaluating language materials.
More info:
Talk delivered at SEALC Symposium 2025 at Moore Hall 258, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa on September 26-27, 2025 via the Theme: Piloting the Proficiency-Based Instructional Materials and Assessment Tools: Insights and Lessons Learned
Recording available upon request.