JALT2025 - Tokyo

Critical Language Pedagogy: Addressing some Valid Concerns

Oct 31, 2025, 2:50 PM

30m

National Olympics Memorial Youth Center / 国立オリンピック記念青少年総合センター

Research-oriented Presentation (30-minutes) Pedagogy Room 408

Speakers

Dr Lachlan Jackson (Ritsumeikan University) Belinda Kennett (The University of Queensland)

Description

Critical language pedagogy (CLP) is a transformative approach to language teaching that encourages students to explore sociopolitical issues in the language classroom. This presentation tracks the experience of a teacher who was initially reluctant to accept his employer’s request to teach a critically-oriented course using assigned materials that he judged as problematic. We show how the teacher was able to implement elements of CLP that were compatible with his teaching philosophy and the students’ needs.

Summary

Critical language pedagogy (CLP) is a transformative approach to language teaching that encourages students to explore sociopolitical issues in the language classroom. This presentation tracks the experience of a teacher who was initially reluctant to accept his employer’s request to teach a critically-oriented course using assigned materials that he judged as problematic. We show how the teacher was able to implement elements of CLP that were compatible with his teaching philosophy and the students’ needs.