Rethinking Context: A Sociocultural Lens on Materials Development
Webinar date: May 2025
Presenter: Luis Carabantes
The word ‘context’ is frequently used by practitioners to mean an abstract array of elements that is not always helpful to understand specific educational realities. In this webinar, the presenter provided a framework based on sociocultural theory of learning to help practitioners identify and map the different layers of complexity of their educational contexts as well as the different types of tensions they experience when making pedagogical decisions. Luis illustrated from his experience as an EAP practitioner and researcher of materials development how he has brought together the different contextual elements shaping his educational context.
This webinar explored:
- Sociocultural theory of learning
- Materials development for ESP/EAP
- A framework to identify and map contextual elements
Watch the recording
About the presenter
Dr Luis Carabantes is a Lecturer in Academic and Professional Communication at Queen Mary University of London, where he teaches EAP and in the MA TESOL modules such as Materials Development and Second Language Acquisition. With almost 20 years of teaching experience, Luis conducts research about how materials development profiles in teacher education, and the overall role it plays in teacher learning. Luis’s work can be found in language education outlets such as TESOL Quarterly, The Modern Language Journal, and the ELT Journal, amongst others.