Engaging English as a Foreign Language Students in Critical Literacy Practices: The Case of a Teacher at a Private University

Published

2019-01-01

Involucrar a estudiantes de inglés como lengua extranjera en el desarrollo de literacidades críticas: el caso de una docente en una universidad privada

Keywords:

Critical literacies, English language teaching, language skills (en)
enseñanza de inglés, habilidades lingüísticas, literacidades críticas (es)

Downloads

Authors

Maria Catalina Gómez Jiménez https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4461-5707
Claudia Patricia Gutierrez https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5651-3687

Abstract (en)
Abstract (es)

This paper describes the process English as a foreign language university students and their teacher underwent when engaging in critical literacy practices. Interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, students’ artifacts, and the teacher’s journal were used to collect data in this study. Findings suggest that when students engage in critical literacy practices, they are prone to reflect on the power they have as agents of social change, while developing language skills. However, teachers should be ready to encounter some resistance from students and to struggle with the incorporation of critical perspectives in their lessons, which is understandable considering the emphasis grammar mastering has traditionally had on language teaching and learning.

Este artículo describe el proceso que atravesaron estudiantes universitarios y su profesora, al involucrarse en prácticas de literacidades críticas en la clase de inglés. Entrevistas, grupos focales, cuestionarios, trabajos de los estudiantes y el diario de campo de la docente fueron usados para recoger datos en este estudio. Los hallazgos sugieren que cuando los estudiantes se involucran en prácticas de literacidades críticas adquieren una mayor disposición para reflexionar sobre el poder que tienen como agentes de cambio social, mientras desarrollan habilidades lingüísticas en inglés. Sin embargo, los docentes deben estar preparados para encontrar resistencia por parte de los estudiantes, así como para enfrentar la incorporación de una perspectiva crítica en sus clases. Dichas dificultades son comprensibles, considerando el énfasis que tradicionalmente se ha dado a la enseñanza y aprendizaje de estructuras gramaticales.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alarcón, N. (2017). Implementing a critical intercultural approach to foster adult English students’ intercultural communicative competence (Unpublished master thesis). Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia. Retrieved from http://bibliotecadigital.udea.edu.co/handle/10495/7165.

Alford, J. (2001). Critical literacy and second language learning in the mainstream classroom: An elusive nexus? In P. Singh & E. McWilliam (Eds.), Designing educational research: Theories, methods and practices (pp. 127-139). Flaxton, AU: Post Pressed.

Arias, N. (2017). Using a critical media literacy approach to analyze media texts in an English class for children (Unpublished master thesis). Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia.

Bacon, C. K. (2017). Multilanguage, multipurpose: A literature review, synthesis, and framework for critical literacies in English language teaching. Journal of Literacy Research, 49(3), 424-453. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086296X17718324.

Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 544-559.

Behrman, E. H. (2006). Teaching about language, power, and text: A review of the classroom practices that support critical literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 49(6), 490-498. https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.49.6.4.

Burnett, C., & Merchant, G. (2011). Is there a space for critical literacy in the context of social media? English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 10(1), 41-57.

Canagarajah, A. S. (Ed.). (2005). Reclaiming the local in language policy and practice. London, UK: Routledge.

Center for Media Literacy. (2009). CML’s five key questions and core concepts (q/tips) for consumers and producers [Table]. Retrieved from http://www.medialit.org/sites/default/files/QTIPS%20CHART_0.pdf.

Comber, B. (2001). Critical literacies and local action: Teacher knowledge and a “new” research agenda. In B. Comber & A. Simpson (Eds.), Negotiating critical literacies in classrooms (pp. 271-282). Mahwah, US: Erlbaum. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410600288.

Comber, B. (2015). Critical literacy and social justice. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(5), 362-367. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.370.

Duncan-Andrade, J. M., & Morrell, E. (2008). The art of critical pedagogy: Possibilities for moving from theory to practice in urban schools. New York, US: Peter Lang. https://doi.org/10.3726/b12771.

Gee, J. P. (1999). An introduction to discourse analysis: Theory and method. London, UK: Routledge.

Giroux, H. A. (1987). Citizenship, public philosophy, and the struggle for democracy. Educational Theory, 37(2), 103-120. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-5446.1987.00103.x.

Green, P. (2001). Critical literacy revisited. In H. Fehring & P. Green (Eds.), Critical literacy: A collection of articles from the Australian literacy educators’ association (pp. 7-14). Newark, US: International Reading Association.

Huang, S.-Y. (2011). Reading “further and beyond the text”: Student perspectives of critical literacy in EFL reading and writing. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 55(2), 145-154. https://doi.org/10.1002/JAAL.00017.

Janks, H. (2010). Language, power and pedagogies. In N. H. Hornberger & S. McKay (Eds.), Sociolinguists and language education (pp. 40-61). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847692849-004.

Janks, H. (2014). Critical literacy’s ongoing importance for education. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 57(5), 349-356. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.260.

Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2007). Critical media literacy is not an option. Learning Inquiry, 1(1), 59-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11519-007-0004-2.

Ko, M.-Y., & Wang, T.-F. (2013). EFL learners’ critical literacy practices: A case study of four college students in Taiwan. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 22(3), 221-229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-012-0013-5.

Kumaravadivelu, B. (2003). Beyond methods: Macrostrategies for language teaching. New Haven, US: Yale University Press.

Kuo, J.-M. (2014). Critical literacy in the EFL classroom: Evolving multiple perspectives through learning tasks. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 11(4), 109-138.

Luke, A. (2012). Critical literacy: Foundational notes. Theory Into Practice, 51(1), 4-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2012.636324.

Manning, A. (1999). Literacy as framework. Paper presented at the Fall Meeting of Mount Saint Vincent University, Education-as-Inquiry Master Degree Program, Toronto, Canada.

McLaughlin, M., & DeVoogd, G. (2004). Critical literacy as comprehension: Expanding reader response. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48(1), 52-62. https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.48.1.5.

Ministerio de Educación Nacional, MEN. (2004). Programa Nacional de Bilingüismo [National Bilingualism Program]. Bogotá, CO: Author.

Mora, R. A. (2014). Critical literacy as policy and advocacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(1), 16-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.329.

Morrell, E. (2009). Critical research and the future of literacy education. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(2), 96-104. https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.53.2.1.

Nieto, S. (1977). Developing curriculum for the bilingual classroom: Toward defining the role of the teacher. Paper presented at the Symposium on Spanish and Portuguese Bilingualism, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED200062.pdf.

Nieto, S. (2013). Language, literacy, and culture: Aha! moments in personal and sociopolitical understanding. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 9(1), 8-20.

Pennycook, A. (2001). Critical applied linguistics: A critical introduction. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

Rashidi, N., & Safari, F. (2011). A model for EFL materials development within the framework of critical pedagogy (CP). English Language Teaching, 4(2), 250-259. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v4n2p250.

Reagan, T., & Osborn, T. (2002). Critical curriculum development in the foreign language classroom. In T. G. Reagan & T. A. Osborn (Eds.), The foreign language educator in society: Toward a critical pedagogy (pp.70-81). Mahwah, US: Laurence Erlbaum Associates.

Renner, C. (1991, June). Using the language of justice and peace: Integrating peace education into EFL curriculum. Paper presented at the International Conference of Teachers for Peace, Paris, France. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED375610.pdf

Richards, K. (2003). Qualitative inquiry in TESOL. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230505056.

Rincón, J. A., & Clavijo-Olarte, A. (2016). Fostering EFL learners’ literacies through local inquiry in a multimodal experience. Colombian Applied Linguistics. Journal, 18(2), 67-82. https://doi.org/10.14483/calj.v18n2.10610.

Robinson, E., & Robinson, S. (2003). What does it mean? Discourse, text, culture: An introduction. Sydney, AU: McGraw-Hill.

Saunders, J. M., Ash, G. E., Salazar, I., Pruitt, R., Wallach, D., Breed, E., . . . Szachacz, A. (2016). “We’re already somebody”: High school students practicing critical media literacy IRL (in real life). Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 60(5), 515-526. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.617.

Thoman, E. (1978). How to break stereotypes [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/how-break-stereotype.

Thomas, D. R. (2006). A general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative evaluation data. American Journal of Evaluation, 27(2), 237-246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214005283748.

Vasquez, V. M. (2017). Critical literacy across the K-6 curriculum. New York, US: Routledge.

Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks, US: Sage Publications.

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

You are authorized to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format as long as you give appropriate credit to the authors of the articles and to Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development as original source of publication. The use of the material for commercial purposes is not allowed. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.

Authors retain the intellectual property of their manuscripts with the following restriction: first publication is granted to Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development.