Critical Language Pedagogy

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 39775

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaii, 2500 Campus Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Interests: critical language pedagogy; critical literacy; critical language awareness; language teachersʻ developing philosophies of teaching; L2 methodology and curriculum; theories of second language learning and teaching

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Critical Language Pedagogy, the application of ideas from Critical Pedagogy to second-language teaching within the context of critical applied linguistics, continues to develop. However, many core concepts remain relatively unexplored by conceptual analyses let alone provided with empirical support for their development. Additionally, closely associated areas such as feminist and antiracist pedagogy for second-language contexts lag in reports and analyses. This Special Issue solicitation calls for empirical and analytic contributions in a number of areas. Central concepts and questions in need of attention could include critical consciousness; Freirean “codes” (and codification); the role of vocabulary in interaction with key concepts; the question of which aspects of language, understood at all levels from phonology to discourse, are learned or addressed in classes with a CLP orientation; the matter of how language itself is conceptualized in CLP; and the application of SLA theories, or the application of other language teaching theories (e.g., task-based language teaching) to CLP. At least because of their previous rarity, case reports or case studies in any associated areas (e.g., feminist pedagogy) are of interest. Since most CLP has involved English, studies in other world languages, Languages Other Than English, including Less Commonly Taught Languages, are sought. Insofar as CLP has evolved mainly in North and to some extent South American contexts, contrasts with or engagement with European contexts and lines of curricular or pedagogical thought are needed. The whole matter of what actions emerge from or are integrated with CLP classroom instruction deserves report. Relatedly, what or how social structures or practices such as teacher networks support CLP, and on the other hand, what social structures or practices—especially newer ones such as surveillance—inhibit it.

Prof. Dr. Graham Crookes
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (10 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research

9 pages, 231 KiB  
Editorial
Final Thoughts: Concluding the Special Issue
by Hayley Anne Cannizzo, Graham V. Crookes, Priscila Fabiane Farias, Angela H. Häusler, Priscila Leal, Jayson Parba, Leonardo da Silva, Sávio Siqueira, Gordon Blaine West and Nicole Ziegler
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(12), 764; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120764 - 26 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1384
Abstract
In this final contribution, the authors of the Special Issue reflect collaboratively on the work gathered in the Special Issue [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)
4 pages, 158 KiB  
Editorial
Introduction to the Special Issue on Critical Language Pedagogy
by Graham V. Crookes
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11110694 - 31 Oct 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1601
Abstract
Readers of the journal Education Sciences will be broadly aware that within educational research as a whole, a position exists that analyzes educational issues and researches questions from an overall contextual perspective that locates them in respect to values such as equity, liberty, [...] Read more.
Readers of the journal Education Sciences will be broadly aware that within educational research as a whole, a position exists that analyzes educational issues and researches questions from an overall contextual perspective that locates them in respect to values such as equity, liberty, and social justice [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 670 KiB  
Article
Language Guerrillas: Signing Multilingualism into Action
by Angela H. Häusler
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(10), 607; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11100607 - 1 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2189
Abstract
This article opens an analytical window into the creation of multilingual guerrilla translations by participants in a preservice language teacher program at a public university in the United States. As an intervention responding to the prevalence of English monolingual signage on this highly [...] Read more.
This article opens an analytical window into the creation of multilingual guerrilla translations by participants in a preservice language teacher program at a public university in the United States. As an intervention responding to the prevalence of English monolingual signage on this highly diverse university campus, the college students invited a public audience into a joint critical interrogation of implicit institutional language policies, as their signage offered a necessarily incomplete and intentionally makeshift alternative to the official English displays. Inspired by the three-phase model of critical pedagogy, this grassroots endeavor embraced Freire’s notion of transformative praxis defined by the symbiotic relation of action and reflection. A closer examination of the scaffolding, which guided the planning and implementation, lends insight into activity design with the potential to nurture an activist aptitude among students. Comments from participants suggest that the conceptual stepping stones towards students’ collective critical engagement had a positive influence on their perception of language (teacher) advocacy and activism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 260 KiB  
Article
Implementing Feminist Language Pedagogy: Development of Students’ Critical Consciousness and L2 Writing
by Hayley Anne Cannizzo
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(8), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080393 - 2 Aug 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3451
Abstract
Feminist pedagogy is a teaching practice, philosophy and process that seeks to confront and deconstruct oppressive power structures both within and outside of the classroom using a gendered lens. As Women’s Studies departments continue to grow in many universities, feminist pedagogy seems to [...] Read more.
Feminist pedagogy is a teaching practice, philosophy and process that seeks to confront and deconstruct oppressive power structures both within and outside of the classroom using a gendered lens. As Women’s Studies departments continue to grow in many universities, feminist pedagogy seems to be gaining popularity as an approach to engaging students in liberatory classroom practices. However, feminist language pedagogy (feminist pedagogy in the second language learning context) appears to have stagnated. This paper investigates the implementation of feminist language pedagogy in an EAP writing classroom for first-year students at a public university in the Southwest of the United States. Using action research, the teacher, who is the author of this paper, examined how feminist language pedagogy aids the development of her students’ critical consciousness and serves as a motivational tool for L2 writing development. The author finds that even in a short, sixteen-week semester, it is possible for students to foster critical consciousness without sacrificing linguistic development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)
16 pages, 300 KiB  
Article
Teaching Critical Vocabulary to Filipino Heritage Language Learners
by Jayson Parba
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(6), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060260 - 26 May 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 9614
Abstract
Engaging in critical dialogues in language classrooms that draw on critical pedagogical perspectives can be challenging for learners because of gaps in communicative resources in their L1 and L2. Since critically oriented classrooms involve discussing social issues, students are expected to deploy “literate [...] Read more.
Engaging in critical dialogues in language classrooms that draw on critical pedagogical perspectives can be challenging for learners because of gaps in communicative resources in their L1 and L2. Since critically oriented classrooms involve discussing social issues, students are expected to deploy “literate talk” to engage in critiquing society and a wide range of texts. Although recent studies have explored teachers’ and students’ engagement with critical materials and critical dialogues, research that explores language development in critical language teaching remains a concern for language teachers. In this paper, I share my experience of fostering language development, specifically the overt teaching of critical vocabulary to students of (Tagalog-based) Filipino language at a university in Hawai’i. Through a discussion of racist stereotypes targeting Filipinos and the impacts of these discourses on students’ lived experiences, the notion of “critical vocabulary” emerges as an important tool for students to articulate the presence of and to dismantle oppressive structures of power, including everyday discourses supporting the status quo. This paper defines critical vocabulary and advances its theoretical and practical contribution to critical language teaching. It also includes students’ perspectives of their language development and ends with pedagogical implications for heritage/world language teachers around the world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)
19 pages, 301 KiB  
Article
Critical Language Pedagogy and Task-Based Language Teaching: Reciprocal Relationship and Mutual Benefit
by Graham V. Crookes and Nicole Ziegler
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(6), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060254 - 22 May 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6658
Abstract
Curriculum development and empirical research in the field of second language acquisition could benefit the field of critical language pedagogy (CLP) and its practitioners. This article reviews central concepts in the organization of curriculum in CLP and compares them with another major curricular [...] Read more.
Curriculum development and empirical research in the field of second language acquisition could benefit the field of critical language pedagogy (CLP) and its practitioners. This article reviews central concepts in the organization of curriculum in CLP and compares them with another major curricular initiative in second language teaching, namely task-based or task-supported approaches, with particular emphasis on task-based language teaching. Content itself (as in activities or materials) and the role of metacognitive instruction are considered. A real-world example of a task-based or task-supported short-term program is reviewed as exemplifying some areas of contact or benefit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)
17 pages, 1366 KiB  
Article
Critical Pedagogy and Language Education: Hearing the Voices of Brazilian Teachers of English
by Sávio Siqueira
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(5), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11050235 - 14 May 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3888
Abstract
Based on an ethnographic research study involving Brazilian teachers from different educational contexts in the city of Salvador, Brazil, this paper aims to approach and discuss the dialogic relationship between critical pedagogy and language education, within the context of English as a global [...] Read more.
Based on an ethnographic research study involving Brazilian teachers from different educational contexts in the city of Salvador, Brazil, this paper aims to approach and discuss the dialogic relationship between critical pedagogy and language education, within the context of English as a global lingua franca. The main goal of the original work was to investigate how EFL teachers see themselves as language professionals in the contemporary world, how aware they are of the implications related to the condition of English as an international language or a global lingua franca, and to what extent they conceive teaching the language under a critical intercultural pedagogy. Data were generated through a questionnaire, class observation sessions, and video recordings of semi-structured group interviews in which issues like the globality of English, culture teaching, interculturality, and critical (language) pedagogy were approached and debated. Results have shown that participants are aware of the implications of the global status of English and that teaching the language in these current times cannot happen in a neutral and/or uncritical way. It was also revealed that teachers find difficult to systematize the teaching of culture in their EFL classes, as much as it is challenging for them to see themselves as critical intercultural professionals who can engage in critical pedagogy in their specific educational settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)
23 pages, 1623 KiB  
Article
Doing Critical Language Teaching through Tasks: Insights from the Brazilian Context
by Priscila Fabiane Farias and Leonardo da Silva
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(5), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11050223 - 7 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3180
Abstract
Although Brazilian governmental documents have conceived language teaching from a critical perspective, the recent scenario points to a backlash towards critical perspectives on teaching, which have been socially perceived as indoctrination. Since we understand critical pedagogy in additional language classrooms as a necessary [...] Read more.
Although Brazilian governmental documents have conceived language teaching from a critical perspective, the recent scenario points to a backlash towards critical perspectives on teaching, which have been socially perceived as indoctrination. Since we understand critical pedagogy in additional language classrooms as a necessary emancipatory perspective, this article aims at discussing possibilities for promoting critical language development. More specifically, it draws on two doctoral studies in which teacher-researchers implemented critical task cycles that aimed at promoting critical language development by fostering elementary and high school students’ reflections on gender issues. In both studies, tasks were developed to promote learners’ communicative and critical development following task-based principles. The comparison of the results, derived from the analysis of learners’ interactions during implementation, responses to questionnaires and interviews, and of the teacher-researchers’ self-report diaries, revealed not only the feasibility of teaching critically through tasks, but also the positive role of: (1) A critical needs-analysis in designing and implementing critical tasks; (2) the use of critical dialogue for fostering knowledge co-construction; (3) the development of final projects to challenge common-sense discourses. These findings indicate, thus, relevant principles for teaching critically through tasks, emphasizing possibilities and challenges for promoting social transformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 949 KiB  
Article
The Development of the Teacher Attitudes to Discrimination in Language Education Scale: A Measurement Tool of Critical Consciousness for Language Teachers
by Priscila Leal
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(5), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11050200 - 24 Apr 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3074
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop a measurement instrument to be used as an assessment tool of teachers’ development of conscientização (i.e., critical consciousness), defined as an individual’s ability “to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions and to take action against [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study is to develop a measurement instrument to be used as an assessment tool of teachers’ development of conscientização (i.e., critical consciousness), defined as an individual’s ability “to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality”. After examining the different stages and components of conscientização, the author describes the process of generating initial items, determining the instrument’s format and content validity, and revising the instrument. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with a diverse sample of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), resulting in four internally consistent factors: (a) teacher beliefs about schooling and emotions towards inequality, (b) teacher as activists, (c) teacher awareness of local educational context, and (d) content selection and teaching strategies in the classroom. Psychometric properties of the scale are included. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 253 KiB  
Article
“Is This a Safe Space?”: Examining an Emotionally Charged Eruption in Critical Language Pedagogy
by Gordon Blaine West
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(4), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11040186 - 17 Apr 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2930
Abstract
Unexpected conflicts, or eruptions, in class during discussions of controversial issues are not uncommon in the field of English language teaching (ELT). This can be especially true for critical English language teachers who hope to address social justice issues in their classrooms. Existing [...] Read more.
Unexpected conflicts, or eruptions, in class during discussions of controversial issues are not uncommon in the field of English language teaching (ELT). This can be especially true for critical English language teachers who hope to address social justice issues in their classrooms. Existing literature of these events often mentions emotional responses of teachers and students, without fully analyzing the ways in which emotions are processed and constrained around these eruptions. This article examines a homophobic incident during an in-service English language teacher course taught by the author to illustrate ways in which emotions shaped the response to the incident, and how social justice aims can be achieved for critical language teachers in emotionally challenging environments, where there may be competing claims of injustice and narratives of oppression. Drawing on feminist theories of emotion, the case is made for a conceptualization of emotions not as private, individual experiences, but rather as public, socioculturally and materially mediated experiences. Social justice is theorized as an active fight against injustices that cannot be seen as an individual, isolated effort. Implications for critical language educators are shared. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Language Pedagogy)
Back to TopTop