The Political Dimensions of Language Teaching and the

Participatory Approach

S.M. Cheng 1

The Politics of Language

• Knw Eng is empowered than who do not know.

• Get better education / job if knw Eng.

• Globalisation = accelerating the use of Eng.

• Worry Eng might lose ability in another L. (fade/die)

• Concerned abt educational inequality.

• Worry Eng dominance leading to loss of endangered L.

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Whose Eng Should be Taught?

Eng as Lingua Franca

- International/ global Language

- (Cummins & Davidson 2007)

Eng belongs to whom it is a mother tongue (childhood)

- (Seidlhofer, Breitender & Pitzl 2006)

Eng owned by who ever uses it regularly

- ELF x homogenous language, no single culture

- ELF = natural L, variable like other L. (some omit ‘s’, some not)

- No one cn answer Eng should be taught in a particular place at a particular time.

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Critical Discourse Analysis

- Study of how identity n power relations are constructed in L.

- Texts are not ideologically neutral.

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Critical Approaches to Pedagogy- to teaching that aims to create a more egalitarian

society by raising awareness of social injustice as a necessary part of curriculum.

Literacies- Stressing the fact participation in a literate Eng

culture means more than being able to read Eng- Learner ned to gain access to the specific Eng L

norms, grammar, n vocab use by those in power. - T examine their teaching practice, choice of texts,

activities and assessment tools, looking when n how power is implicitly n explicitly expressed.

- Increase S ability to make grammar n vocab.

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• Pluriligualism and Multicompetence

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• Non-native Speakers as Teachers

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• Hidden Curriculum

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• The Participatory Approach : One Response to the Politics of Language Teaching

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Thinking abt Experience

• Classroom + lives -> provide the content for future lessons

T dialogues with S learn wat is happening in lives

• Curriculum x predetermined product, is result od an ongoing context-spesificproblem-posing process.

T poses problem voiced by women in class

• Experience-centered- relates students’ needs.

• Students motivated by personal involvement.

T ask Qs and leads class to discuss

• Knowledge jointly constructed, bcm tools to help S find a voice, by finding voice, S cn act in the world.

• S Learn to see themselves as social n political beings

T ask S if they wan to write group letter.

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CSM 11

• L teaching occurs with texts that S hv co-constructed.

T write wat S ask, read out, ask if want to make changes, feedback, read after changes.

• Focus on linguistic frm occur within a focus on content.

• L skills are taught in service of action for change, x isolation

S copy letter in their notebooks

• S cn create own materials, cn bcm texts for others

S bring revised versions of the letters to nxt class for others to read

• Evaluate own learning n increasingly direct in themselves. Feel empowered.

S discuss wat they hv learned in class n wat they wan to learn in the future.

Reviewing the Principles

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Question Answer

Goals of teacher • Teach L tat is meaningful n raise the political consciousness of her S.• T wan S to be empowered to use L n solve problems in lives.

Role of T n S • T dialogues wif S to identify problems,• Looks for ways to incorporate problems in lessons.• S share the daily concerns of lives wif T an class.

Characteristics of teaching nlearning process

• S in discussion – identify problemss – poses problems – learn hw to use L in real world.

• Collaboration S is encouraged• Focus L form occur• S encouraged to evaluate own learning

Nature of S-T &S-S interaction

• T supportive of her S.• T advocate for S.• S work supportively.• T help s find solutions.• Teach s necessary L to understand, discuss n address problem.

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Feeling of the S dealt with

• Feeling are important n L relevant to their lives.• Express feeling• S empowered by directing n evaluating own learning.

L viewed n culture viewed?

• L = instrument of power necessary for active n equal participation• L – x neutral subject• Culture – relate S daily experiences

Area of L emphasized? L skills are emphasized

• L – used meaningful (focus on form subordinate to communication initially)

• Correctness of form is taught n valued• Literacy is important, although no skill neglected.

Role of students’ naïve language

• S’s native language is valued

How evaluation accomplished

• S encouraged to firedt n to evaluate own learning -> connect to lives

Teacher respond to S errors

• Self-correct.• T point out errors n provide feedback on hw to correct erros.

Techniques

Technique

Dialoguing

Problem Posing

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