Sarah Filiatrault-Forkmann

I am happy to be studying in the ALDS PhD program at Carleton, following a move back to my hometown after 10 years of living in Germany. During my time abroad, I was able to gain valuable experience as an EFL teacher and educational publishing professional. I also completed an MA in TESL specifically for teaching young learners from the Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, with my research focusing on intercultural communicative competence in German primary school EFL textbooks.

I currently work on digital tools to supplement EFL textbooks for German students, and I find myself searching for meaningful ways to bring textbooks to life through story animation. I am particularly interested in how specific interactive elements within animations might support vocabulary acquisition and retention amongst young EFL learners. I am grateful to work under the supervision of Dr. Brian Strong and Dr. Michael Rodgers.

Areas of Interest

• ESL for young learners
• Educational publishing
• Vocabulary
• Digital learning tools