Critical literacies pedagogy in the ELL classroom (MGL3036)

Knowledge

After completing the course, the student will have knowledge of:

• the major theories underlying critical literacies pedagogy, multiliteracies pedagogy and critical performative pedagogy and their application to the EFL classroom
• the relationship between language, culture, literacy and power and its influence on the enactment of teaching at the classroom level
• global varieties of English and the implications of English language choice and text selection in the multilingual and multicultural EFL classroom
• non-canonical texts and materials for use in the EFL classroom, including children's and young adult literature, indigenous, postcolonial and migrant literature, and digital and film-based media
• arts-based, experiential, and dialogical literature approaches for fostering intercultural competence and critical literacy skills
• arts-based qualitative research methods, ethnographic research methods and critical discourse analysis related to critical literacies pedagogy

Skills

After completing the course, the student will be able to:

• identify multiple perspectives within texts and critically evaluate these for discourses of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, poverty and class
• select, critically evaluate and adapt canonical and non-canonical texts and materials for use within the EFL classroom using a critical literacies framework
• use arts-based, experiential, and dialogical literature approaches to develop students' intercultural competence and critical literacy skills
• find, refer to and reflect upon relevant English language research literature related to critical literacies pedagogy and use it in academic argumentative texts

General competencies

The student will be able to:

• use academic English confidently and functionally in spoken and written discourse when discussing critical literacies pedagogy and presenting literary and cultural materials selection for use in the EFL classroom
• apply their knowledge of critical literacies pedagogy and arts-based, experiential, and dialogical approaches to literature to further develop their own intercultural competence and critical literacy skills
• apply their knowledge of critical literacies pedagogy and research methods to their EFL teaching practice and classroom research

1. Students need to complete 2/3 of their teaching practice.
2. Students must attend a minimum of 70% of all lectures and seminars. 
3. Students will record personal reflections on course content in weekly logs
4. Students will present and critically evaluate a text of their choice for use in the EFL classroom using a critical literacies framework
5. Following their teaching practice, students will participate in a critical performative unit to evaluate their EFL teaching experiences.

These must be approved before the students can be examined. Students who have one or more assignments not approved at first submission, will be given one more submission opportunity in a new and improved version.

Fagperson(er)

Study Program Director:

Course coordinator:

Study Adviser:

Bean, T. W. & Moni, K. (2003) Developing students' critical literacy: Exploring identity construction in young adult fiction. Journal of adolescent & adult literacy. 46:8. 638-648.

Bland, J. (2013). Critical cultural literacy in the EFL-literature classroom. Children's literature and learner empowerment: children and teenagers in English language education. London: Bloomsbury, 207-253.

Borsheim-Black, C. et al. (2014). Critical literature pedagogy: teaching canonical literature for critical literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 58(2). 123-133.

Branscombe, M. & Schneider, J. J. (2013) Embodied discourse: using tableau to explore preservice teachers' reflections and activist stances. Journal of language and literacy education, 9(1), 95-113.

Cahill, H. (2006) Research acts: using the drama workshop as a site for conducting participatory action research, NJ: Drama Australia Journal, 30:2, 61-72.

Canagarajah, S. (2005). Critical pedagogy in L2 learning and teaching. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 931-949.

Cummins, J. et al. (2005). Affirming identity in multilingual classrooms. Educational leadership 63(1), 38-43.

Dolan, A. M. (2014) Intercultural education, picturebooks and refugees: approaches for language teachers. Children's literature in English language education. CLELE journal. 2:1, 92-109.

Fajardo, M. F. A review of critical literacy beliefs and practices of English language learners and teachers. University of Sydney papers in TESOL, 10, 29-56.

Fenner, A.-B. (2013). Promoting intercultural competence and bildung through foreign language textbooks in Eisenmann, M. & Summer, T. (Eds.) Basic issues inEFL teaching. Heidelberg: Winter, 371-384.

Harman, R. & Smagorinsky P. (2014) A critical performative process: supporting the second-language literacies and voices of emergent bilingual learners, Youth theatre journal, 28(2), 147-164.

Louis, R. (2005). Performing English, performing bodies: a case for critical performative language pedagogy. Text and performance quarterly, 25(4), 334-353.

New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review. Spring 1996. 66:1. 60-92.

Rashidi, N. & Safari, F. (2011). A model for EFL materials development within the framework of critical pedagogy. English Language Teaching, 4(2), 250-259.

Rozansky, C. L., & Aagesen, C. (2010). Low-achieving readers, high expectations: image theatre encourages critical literacy. Journal of adolescent & adult literacy, 53(6), 458-466.

Short, K. G. (2009). Critically reading the word and the world: building intercultural understanding through literature. Bookbird: a journal of international children's literature, 47(2), 1-10.

Vasquez, V. M. et al. (2013). Negotiating critical literacies with teachers: theoretical foundations and pedagogical resources for pre-service and in-service contexts. Abington: Routledge.

Selected chapter(s) in

Byram, M., & Fleming, M. (Eds.) (1998). Language learning in intercultural perspective: approaches through drama and ethnography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Fenner, A-B. (Ed.) (2001). Cultural awareness and language awareness based on dialogic interaction with texts in foreign language learning, Graz, Council of Europe.

Freire, P. (1990). The pedagogy of the oppressed. London: Penguin.

Janks, H. (2010). Literacy and power. London: Routledge.

McGillis, R. (2000). Voices of the other: children's literature and the postcolonial context. New York: Garland.

Rogers, R. (Ed.) (2011) An introduction to critical discourse analysis in education. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge.

Winograd, K. (Ed.). (2014) Critical literacy and young learners: connecting classroom practice to the Common Core. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis.

Picturebooks and graphic novels

Browne, A. (1998) Voices in the park.

Hosseini, K. & Celoni, F. (2011) The kite runner: graphic novel.

Mobin-Udin, A. (2005) My name is Bilal.

Recorvits, H. (2003) My name is Yoon.

Satrapi, M. (2007) The complete Persepolis.

Tan, S. (2006) The arrival.

Novels and short stories

Adichie, C. N. (2003) Purple hibiscus: a novel.

Ihimaera, W. (1987) The whale rider.

Lee, H. (1960). To kill a mockingbird.

Nye, N. S. (1997) Habibi.

Orwell, G. (1934) Burmese Days.

Roy, A. (1997) The god of small things.

Silko, L. M. (1981). Lullaby.

Walker, A. (1973). Everyday use.

Additional resources for materials selection and activity development:

Byram, M., Gribkova, B. & Starkey, H. (2002) Developing the intercultural dimension in language teaching: a practical introduction for teachers. Language policy division, Council of Europe, Strasbourg.

Janks, H. et al. 2014. Doing critical literacy. Texts and activities for students and teachers. New York & London: Routledge.

Schneider, J., Crumpler, T. P.  & Rogers, T. (2006) Process drama and multiple literacies: addressing social, cultural and ethical issues. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Cahnmann-Taylor et al. (2010) Teachers act up!: creating multicultural learning communities through theatre. New York: Teachers college press.