While second language (L2) teachers pursue advanced language acquisition theories and methods, they also have to meet an increasing demand for L2 education situated in broader and more diverse social contexts. Critical pedagogy may be one way to respond to such a demand. Critical pedagogy emphasizes students’ interests and needs and attempts to lead them away from receptive learning to more active student-centered language learning. It enhances students’ awareness of society and justice and promotes their critical thinking and interpersonal communication skills. In this paper, we explore this revolutionary ideology of education in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes in Japan. First, rationales and theoretical backgrounds of critical pedagogy from different viewpoints are presented. Next, the results of three different attempts of incorporating critical pedagogy in Japanese EFL classes are reported, and its possibilities and difficulties in L2 education are discussed.
Research papers (research meetings, symposium materials and others)
