Cansu Sen

I design my lesson plans based on a needs analysis of my students. After getting to know them better, I provide activities that activate their schemas. Once I identify their multiple intelligences (based on Gardner's theory), I tailor activities accordingly. Students' interests and backgrounds are important to me, and I try to incorporate authentic materials into my lessons so that they can relate to the content and engage more meaningfully with their learning. I primarily use topic-based and communicative approaches, but I also incorporate task-based learning and the grammar-translation method, depending on the context and the students' level. I truly believe that language is a tool for communication; therefore, my main focus is on the four core skills—speaking, reading, writing, and listening. I enjoy including role-plays, drama activities, improvisation, case scenarios, and tongue twisters in my lessons. I also encourage my students to engage in active reading and promote extensive reading, as I believe literature offers rich and authentic input for language learning. My motto is: “I simply teach what I learn.” I say this because I am a language enthusiast who enjoys challenging myself with different languages in various contexts. Ich spreche Englisch und Türkisch fließend. Mein Deutsch und Russisch sind auf ein kommunikativen Niveau, und ich sie weiter durch Musik, Bücher und Filme lernen. I have lived in Spain and worked as a teaching assistant at King's College, which gave me valuable insight into the British curriculum as well as Spanish language and culture. In my home country, I have worked in a variety of educational settings: private primary schools (Key Stage 2), public high schools, private academies for very young learners (aged 10 months to 6 years), and at the preparatory class of my home university, where I graduated with honors. Now, I am on a mission to move to Munich for my higher education, and I would like to gain more experience in diverse cultural contexts with students from different backgrounds.