Introduction

This book is not for everyone.

52 originally began life as a blog. We wanted to focus on critical, subversive and

minimal stimulus for language classrooms – the stuff that usually doesn't get past the

publishers’ radar. Luke had been exploring the use of minimal stimulus to prompt

conversation in his work on Dogme ELT, and Lindsay had been developing a more

critical approach to mainstream materials writing.

In addition, we were both living through a time of great upheaval. Austerity measures,

economic crises, cutbacks in education and other public services, joblessness,

unchecked environmental damage and at least two disastrous wars were just some of

things we were witnessing every day on the news and in the streets. Yet we both felt

that much of what happened in language classrooms was taking place in a bubble,

divorced from reality.

We started experimenting with ideas, things we had tried ourselves as teachers or as

participants in workshops. We began to look outside the field of ELT at what our

colleagues in anti-racist education, in peace education and in education for social

justice were doing. Slowly the idea of a blog with a few activities developed into

something more substantial.

You are looking at the result: a year’s worth (if you do one a week) of critical,

subversive and unconventional activity for language teachers. But be warned – these

activities are not for everyone! Some of the activities may shock you, some may shock

your students. We don’t aim to shock people just for the sake of it, but a jolt is

sometimes what is needed to wake us up from our delusions. And we feel that

sometimes, just sometimes, that is the responsibility of the teacher. If you don’t feel

comfortable with this – if you feel it is your job to “only teach the language” and leave

any social or political ideas at the door – then perhaps it’s best to leave this book well

alone. 52 is not ‘one-size-fits-all’ – there is plenty of that for language teachers in print

and online.

If you think otherwise, then turn the page and let’s get started.

8Dress

One day come to class wearing something unusual. For example, if you often dress

casual then come in a shirt and tie or trouser suit. If you wear formal clothes then come

wearing a T-shirt and jeans. The idea is that you look quite different from your normal

teaching self.

Start the class as normal and wait for learner comments. If they do comment ask them

what they have noticed exactly and why it does/doesn’t surprise them (if they don’t

comment you could ask them at the end of class – perhaps they are being polite, or

you haven’t shocked them enough!). Let this conversation develop a bit, feeding in the

following questions:

• Is the way a teacher dresses important?

• How should people in authority dress? Does it affect their authority?

• Would you treat me differently if I had dressed like this from the first day? How

and why?

• How important are clothes in our society?

• In what ways can clothes be used to make a statement, or rebel against a

system? Think of the following examples: workers or soldiers in uniform, women in

burkhas or veils, politicians in sweaters, cross-dressers?

10Pen!

Today, don’t write anything down in class.

Make sure pens are available for your students – whether these are for an interactive

whiteboard, a regular whiteboard, a flip-chart, pieces of paper or even (you’ll need

some chalk) a blackboard.

Put the pens in a prominent position and gesture to people to use them as appropriate.

For example, if you need to write down an instruction, dictate it for someone to write

down on the board.

If a bit of language comes up that you would normally write on the board, gesture to

someone else to write it down.

If you find yourself explaining a bit of language – you got it. You can talk, but only your

students can write.

• Does this change the classroom dynamic at all?

• How does it make you feel?

• Ask the learners – how does it make you feel?

14Monopoly

Use the following text as a dictation.

‘No race has the monopoly on beauty, intelligence, strength.’

Use the following questions for discussion as a follow up.

• What does this sentence mean?

• How do you feel about it?

• What is a monopoly?

• Why do you think the author felt this needed to be said?

• Is it still important to say this?

What if the word ‘race’ is changed to the following?

‘No gender has the monopoly on beauty, intelligence, strength.’

sexuality

age-group

The quote is by the French poet, author and politician Aimé Césaire. He was born in Basse-

Pointe, Martinique in 1913.

25Conditional

Grammar you can teach with this image: conditional sentences; the shift in formality

from “if it were” to “if this lady was”; abbreviated would

Vocabulary you can teach with this image: pinch, bottom, run down, sexist,

chauvinistic, graffiti, rebellious, violent

Discussion you can have with this image: See what people say, asking if need be -

‘Who is talking to whom in these statements, and what do they mean to say?’

32Parsnip

Write the word parsnip on the board and get learners to check the meaning and

translation in their dictionaries. Explain that in the world of language education

publishing, ‘parsnip’ is in fact an acronym for different subject areas that are usually

avoided in coursebooks because they are controversial.

Give the learners the first word: P for Politics. Ask them to guess what the other letters

could stand for. Elicit these and put them on the board.

Politics

Alcohol

Religion

Sex

Narcotics

Isms (e.g. communism, atheism)

Pork

Ask learners why they think these topics could be controversial, and who they might

offend. Do learners think these topics should be avoided in language class? Can they

think of one good reason to avoid them and one good reason not to avoid them? Use

this class discussion to elicit suggestions for future classes on any of these areas if

your learners want to.

39Slogan

Ever been intrigued by students telling you slogans they’ve picked up like “I’m lovin it”?

Time to take back the language from the big corporations and give it a little subversive

twist.

Write on the board:

I’m hatin’ it.

I’m throwin’ it away.

I’m cuttin’ down on it.

I’m ignorin’ it.

I’m chokin’ on it.

I’m gettin’ fat on it.

I’m ___________ it.

Ask students if they know the original, and if they can suggest another word that can go

in the slot. Who can come up with the most amusing subversive McDonalds slogan?

No reason to stop there. Get your learners to have a go at subverting the following

ones too (replacing the underlined words with their own ideas).

Just do it. (Nike)

Impossible is nothing. (Adidas)

Connecting people. (Nokia)

Life’s Good. (LG)

Because you’re worth it. (l’Oreal)

42Pressure

This activity starts with a letter to a leader, and the aim is to get a reply from a leader.

First, working in whole class mode, brainstorm ways of improving the school. Then,

divide the class into four groups: each group must choose the five things they would

choose to improve first. Each group must then join with another group and negotiate a

short-list of five. Finally, compare the two short-lists in whole class and agree on a final

set of five.

Now draft a letter to your school head - act as a scribe for the group, eliciting the letter

to write on the board and making suggestions as you go. Make a final draft, and invite

everyone to copy it out. Choose someone's copy at random and send it off!

Start with your school – then think of ways to improve your town, your state, your

country. Try writing to a local organisation, city hall, the government...

See if you get a reply – and discuss what it says.

• What different ways do ordinary people use to try and make their voices heard?

• In what ways do organisations and governments respond?