Designing classroom material to promote socialization and social change

Vinícius Borges De Medeiros Cardoso

doi:10.15448/2178-3640.2018.2.31366

Vinícius Borges De Medeiros Cardoso

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.15448/2178-3640.2018.2.31366

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Abstract

This paper will review the process of developing two units of a coursebook that aimed to promote socialization and social change. Teaching perspectives on the Communicative Approach and Critical Literacy are reviewed, advocating the possibility of linking both perspectives. The methods of dealing with the receptive and productive skills and three language systems – grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation – are synthesized and reasons for supporting the choice of the activities in the units are given throughout the article. The results of this study suggest that the coursebook syllabus can bring together both the possibility of socialization, fostered by the Communicative Approach, and social change, encouraged by the Critical Literacy. Thus, coursebooks are important factors to promote students’ active citizenship.

Highlights

Within the boundaries of a classroom, teachers are limited by different factors, such as curriculum and coursebooks
Having in mind the idea that a coursebook can be a limiting factor for classroom discussion, I chose to focus on two topics – assertiveness and music – and design the units so that it could be a source for fruitful class discussion, besides language development
Teachers concerned with educating for citizenship can have a hard time when adapting those materials. This topic could be more practical and provide valuable insight into editing and adapting classroom materials. It has been a long time since the school changed its perspective from the educational system to the citizenship one

Summary

Introduction

Within the boundaries of a classroom, teachers are limited by different factors, such as curriculum and coursebooks. Those factors can sometimes prevent teachers from bringing important topics to class. At the end of my specialization in English at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (CEI/UFMG), after being presented to a wide range of approaches, methodologies, principles, and theories, I developed two units of a coursebook, in which we were expected to use what we had learned throughout the course. Having in mind the idea that a coursebook can be a limiting factor for classroom discussion, I chose to focus on two topics – assertiveness and music – and design the units so that it could be a source for fruitful class discussion, besides language development. I will be addressing the concepts and precepts governing the productive and receptive skills activities and the language systems: grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation

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