Abstract
Critical Literacy (CL) has lately influenced English Language Teaching (ELT) in Brazil, mainly after the publication of the National Guidelines for High School Teaching, and several practitioners have started to use CL perspectives in their ELT contexts. Besides, CL and Critical Language Education have been the focus of much research in Brazil. Nonetheless, these alternative approaches have not yet made their way into testing and assessment. This paper focuses on the relationship of CL and English Language testing. First, we present an overview of important concepts in the area of testing and assessment in ELT. We also discuss important concepts of CL and other critical approaches to ELT. Then, we briefly discuss the possibility of using CL together with CA in English teaching. To illustrate, we summarize a course in ELT, which has used CL and CA at university level. Finally, considering tests as part of the social practices in educational contexts, we demonstrate that, just as CL may be used for Citizenship Education and Social Justice in English classes, the same approach should be used when testing, particularly due to the use of language as a tool for social reconstruction and critique for the exposure of inequalities. Principles for developing critical practices in testing and assessment are discussed along the paper.
Highlights
Critical Applied Linguistics, as proposed by Pennycook (2001) and others, has influenced many areas of professional practice and scientific research in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) and Language Teacher Education (LTE)
CL and Critical Language Education (Ferraz 2010, 2015; Mattos, Ferraz & Monte Mór 2015; Monte Mór 2009) have been the focus of much research in Brazil. These alternative approaches have not yet made their way into testing and assessment, despite the evidence of the roles played by language testing on social and political levels (Shohamy 2004). This paper1 focuses on the possible relationship of Critical Literacy and English Language testing in critical teaching contexts, since it is a meaningful effort in order to understand classroom practices, and further actions towards a more consistent use of tests in regards to teaching perspectives, methods, philosophies, and approaches
McLaughlin and DeVoogd argue that critical literacy considers “readers as active participants in the reading process and invites them to move beyond passively accepting the text’s message to question, examine, or dispute the power relations that exist between readers and authors” (2004, 14)
Summary
Critical Applied Linguistics, as proposed by Pennycook (2001) and others, has influenced many areas of professional practice and scientific research in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) and Language Teacher Education (LTE). CL and Critical Language Education (Ferraz 2010, 2015; Mattos, Ferraz & Monte Mór 2015; Monte Mór 2009) have been the focus of much research in Brazil These alternative approaches have not yet made their way into testing and assessment, despite the evidence of the roles played by language testing on social and political levels (Shohamy 2004). This paper focuses on the possible relationship of Critical Literacy and English Language testing in critical teaching contexts, since it is a meaningful effort in order to understand classroom practices, and further actions towards a more consistent use of tests in regards to teaching perspectives, methods, philosophies, and approaches. We try to elaborate on possible principles for developing critical practices in testing and assessment in the language classroom
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