https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0601-6535
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Abstract
As a newly developed principle of language teaching, critical language awareness (CLA) has great potential to promote social justice through language learning. However, the implementation of CLA pedagogy in Chinese educational settings has not been fully explored yet. Informed by the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this case study investigated the implementation of CLA pedagogy in a Chinese EFL writing class by exploring the teacher’s attitudes and perceived barriers, and how these factors influenced her intention to adopt the pedagogy. The analyses of multiple qualitative data sources (semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, teaching lesson plans, and course curriculum) revealed that the teacher’s intention of adopting CLA pedagogy was positively affected by her high appraisal of CLA. Several challenges were also found to limit the teacher’s choice of pedagogy, including the pressure from standardization examinations, the mismatch between the aims of CLA pedagogy and students’ actual needs and expectations, as well as insufficient teaching materials and resources. Based on these findings, several implications were suggested for the research of CLA pedagogy in Chinese EFL contexts.
摘要
作为一种新兴的语言教学原则, 批判性语言意识旨在通过语言学习促进社会公平° 然而, 在中国教育背景中, 批判性语言意识教学法的实施尚未充分研究° 本案例研究以计划行为理论为框架, 通过分析教师的态度、 教师感知的障碍以及这些因素如何影响教师采用批判性语言意识教学法的意愿°多源定性数据(半结构化访谈、课堂观察、教学教案和课程大纲)的分析表明, 教师采用批判性语言意识教学法的意愿受到她对批判性语言意识高度评价的积极影响°然而, 研究还发现教师在实施该教学法时面临一些挑战, 包括标准化考试压力、教学法的目标与学生实际需求和期望不匹配, 以及教材和资源不足° 根据这些发现, 文章提出了批判性语言意识教学法在中国英语作为外语情境中的研究建议°
PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY
Although many current L2 teaching approaches are well-established and beneficial for learners’ language development, there is no breakthrough for the promotion of language and social justice. Scholars have proposed an approach (CLA pedagogy) to overcome this limit in language teaching. Specifically, when L2 teachers implement CLA pedagogy, they encourage learners to challenge linguistic hierarchy and supremacy, such as standardized English. The current study explores how a Chinese EFL university writing teacher, Rebecca, perceives the implementation of CLA pedagogy in her writing class, including her attitudes towards CLA and perceived challenges. The study indicates that although Rebecca held positive attitudes towards CLA, the implementation of CLA pedagogy was still limited by some contextual factors, signifying that the implementation of CLA pedagogy in Chinese EFL contexts requires further efforts from many sources, such as language teachers, educational institutions, and educational researchers.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Chenggang Liang
Chenggang Liang is a Ph.D student at Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China. He obtained his master’s degree in Moray House School of Education and Sport, the University of Edinburgh, UK. His research interests focus on second language writing, language education and language pedagogy.
Shulin Yu
Shulin Yu is an Associate Professor at Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China. His research interests include second language writing and second language education. His publications have appeared in Journal of Second Language Writing, Assessing Writing, Language Teaching Research, Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, Teachers and Teaching, and TESOL Quarterly.