Abstract
Feminist pedagogy is a teaching practice, philosophy and process that seeks to confront and deconstruct oppressive power structures both within and outside of the classroom using a gendered lens. As Women’s Studies departments continue to grow in many universities, feminist pedagogy seems to be gaining popularity as an approach to engaging students in liberatory classroom practices. However, feminist language pedagogy (feminist pedagogy in the second language learning context) appears to have stagnated. This paper investigates the implementation of feminist language pedagogy in an EAP writing classroom for first-year students at a public university in the Southwest of the United States. Using action research, the teacher, who is the author of this paper, examined how feminist language pedagogy aids the development of her students’ critical consciousness and serves as a motivational tool for L2 writing development. The author finds that even in a short, sixteen-week semester, it is possible for students to foster critical consciousness without sacrificing linguistic development.
Highlights
Feminism, like antiracism, is not one more social issue in ESL but a way of thinking, a way of teaching, and, most importantly, a way of learning. —Arleen Schenke, 1996, p. 158In light of current social movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too that bring intersectional issues around power and identity to the forefront of our consciousness, educational discourse continues to discuss the need for more critically engaged, active citizens
This paper explores how I implemented feminist language pedagogy (FLP) at a flagship US university in my English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classroom
I assumed the role of a teacher–researcher and explored the effects FLP had on my fourteen ELL (English language learners) students’ thinking and L2 writing development
Summary
Like antiracism, is not one more social issue in ESL but a way of thinking, a way of teaching, and, most importantly, a way of learning. —Arleen Schenke, 1996, p. 158In light of current social movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too that bring intersectional issues around power and identity to the forefront of our consciousness, educational discourse continues to discuss the need for more critically engaged, active citizens. As Schniedewind [1] illustrated, is a process by which both students and teachers engage in confronting and deconstructing oppressive power structures. It is a way of thinking, learning, teaching and interacting with the divisive world in which we reside. This paper explores how I implemented feminist language pedagogy (FLP) at a flagship US university in my English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classroom. I argue that FLP can be used as a consciousness-raising tool that benefits students’ critical consciousness and second language development and urge educators to explore feminist classroom practices
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
