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Social Justice in ELT

If the title of this article has caught your eye, my guess is that it is not only language, culture, and teaching that interest you as an educator. Possibly you are also concerned or at least curious about social issues related to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, age, religion, size, and (dis)ability as well. If so, you may belong to a growing community of professionals interested in social justice or critical education in English Language Teaching (ELT).

At different points in our careers as teachers, we often have very different preoccupations. Preservice and beginning teachers tend to be concerned with technical aspects of practice such as conventional classroom management and lesson planning. With quality training, time and experience, or professional development, however, we might start asking ourselves questions such as the following:

• Who am I as a teacher?
• What are my philosophy, principles, and theories of teaching?
• How well do I understand my actual teaching context?
• What do I really know about my students’ inequitable backgrounds?
• What social justice issues are at hand in my classroom (and workplace)?
• How can I help develop capacity in my diverse students?
• What can I do to better support disadvantaged students?
• How can I cultivate a milieu of multicultural sensitivity?
• How can I promote values, such as acceptance, respect, affirmation, and solidarity?
• What methods can I use to stimulate reflection and encourage critique?
• How can I get students to engage in community-building, social decision-making processes, and action?
• What methods can I use to teach for social justice?
• What political, social, ethical, or moral obstacles stand in my way?
• What are some consequences of inaction?

In posing these questions, we may begin to adopt a more critical stance, involving reflection on issues of oppression, inequality, and injustice that are omnipresent in curricula design, materials, and evaluation, our classroom practices and discourse, and the educational settings we serve in.

More than that, however, we may start to recognize opportunities for transforming our world attempt if only in small ways to make a positive difference.

This is the crux of social justice, not at all easy to define and never neutral, a main goal of which is to provide students with equal opportunities for academic success compatible with the aspiration of human dignity for all.

Yet, research reported in Miller and Kirkland (indicates that without training, teachers may perpetuate social and educational inequalities because of a lack of awareness of the power they hold and their role in developing student identities.

According to Crookes’ (2013) Critical ELT in Action: Foundations, Promises, Praxis – a great place to start reading on this topic – key components of critical language pedagogy include: structured, cooperative learning and democratic classroom management techniques; teachers taking oppositional stances; critical needs analysis; negotiated syllabi; use of Freirian codes to generate course themes; critical dialogue; critical content and participation in material development; participatory and democratic assessment; and pedagogy with an action orientation.

Crookes suggests that teachers gradually incorporate critical elements into their pedagogy and engage in ongoing cyclic reflection (good advice for most things!). There are a number of models that may guide you. One such model, called the 6 “re-s” (Miller & Kirkland, 2010) may provide direction. The action steps in this process model for dealing with social justice issues that arise have teachers first reflect, then reconsider, refuse, reconceptualize, rejuvenate, and finally reengage.

Do you think you can make a difference with your teaching? Are you ready to commit to the promise of social justice? If you’re interested in the theme of critical education, would like to engage in dialogue, or have collaborative project ideas, please do not hesitate to get in touch! Send me a motivated message to join our new Social Justice SIG (Critical Educators in Korea) special interest group on Facebook or contact me by email at jocelynmnu@yahoo.com.

References

Crookes, G.V. (2013). Critical ELT in action: Foundations, promises, praxis. New York, NY: Routledge.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. London, UK: Continuum.

Miller, s. j., & Kirkland, D. E. [Eds.]. (2010). Change matters: Critical essays on moving social justice research from theory to policy. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.

Jocelyn Wright is Assistant Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Mokpo National University. She coordinates the local Reflective Practice Special Interest Group (RP-SIG) and is actively involved in the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL). As a representative of the Chapter, she invites you to join in the various professional development activities on offer in our area.

Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL   “Teachers helping teachers.” Reflective Practice Meeting Date & Time: Saturday, 21 November, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Place: Aldersgate Café   Monthly Chapter Meeting Date & Time: Saturday, November 21, 1:45 pm – 5:00 pm Place: Gwangju National University of Education EFL Presentations and Discussions   Admission: No charge   For more event details: Website: https://koreatesol.org/content/calendar-events-1-gj-chapter Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Email: gwangju@koreatesol.org Twitter: @GwangjuKOTESOL