The Pedagogical The Pedagogical Implementation of Critical Implementation of Critical Reading in the Settings of Reading in the Settings of English as a Lingua FrancaEnglish as a Lingua Franca

Takeshi SATOTakeshi SATO

Tokyo University of Agriculture and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, JapanTechnology, Japan

tsato@cc.tuat.ac.jptsato@cc.tuat.ac.jp

Presentation for the 4th Redesigning Pedagogy International Presentation for the 4th Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference 2011Conference 2011

on 30th of May, 2001 @ National Institute of Education Singaporeon 30th of May, 2001 @ National Institute of Education Singapore

ContentsContents1.1. Aim of the studyAim of the study

2.2.BackgroundBackground

- The status of English in JapanThe status of English in Japan

- ELT in JapanELT in Japan

- Critical Reading and Critical PedagogyCritical Reading and Critical Pedagogy

1.1. Practical strategies for Critical ReadingPractical strategies for Critical Reading

2.2.Implementation in my classroomImplementation in my classroom

3.3.ConclusionConclusion

What makes my students What makes my students lively in my English (reading) lively in my English (reading)

class?class?

-Negative attitude of learners in EFL Negative attitude of learners in EFL reading class in Japan. reading class in Japan.

-Uncritically accepting the contents of the Uncritically accepting the contents of the texts. texts.

1. Aim of the study1. Aim of the study

•To examine pedagogical To examine pedagogical strategies to implement strategies to implement critical critical readingreading in the settings of English in the settings of English as a lingua franca.as a lingua franca.

2. Background (1):The 2. Background (1):The status of English in Japanstatus of English in Japan• very fewvery few speech communities but eager to speech communities but eager to

learn English. learn English.

• English is regarded as English is regarded as a lingua franca (ELF)a lingua franca (ELF) for for ““international understandinginternational understanding”” (ex. Kubota, (ex. Kubota, 2002). 2002).

- Some companies made English as their Some companies made English as their official language. (The employees are the official language. (The employees are the Japanese!)Japanese!)

• The Japanese tend to identify English with The Japanese tend to identify English with Anglophone culturesAnglophone cultures. (Honna, 2000). (Honna, 2000)

- Native speaker fallacy (Phillipson, 1992)Native speaker fallacy (Phillipson, 1992)

Background (2): ELT in Background (2): ELT in JapanJapan• Dichotomy: Dichotomy: communicationcommunication is learned with is learned with native speakers and native speakers and literacyliteracy with non-native with non-native speakersspeakers

• Main purpose in literacy class: to accurately Main purpose in literacy class: to accurately decode the information word by worddecode the information word by word. . (Powell, 2005)(Powell, 2005)

• Attitude: Attitude: teacher-centeredteacher-centered. .

- prefer passive or teacher-led language prefer passive or teacher-led language classes. (Kimura, Nakata & Okumura, classes. (Kimura, Nakata & Okumura, 2001)2001)

- dislike individual self-expression and critical dislike individual self-expression and critical thinking. (Kubota, 1999)thinking. (Kubota, 1999)

Background (3): What is Background (3): What is ‘‘Critical ReadingCritical Reading’’??

• Reading activities based on Reading activities based on Critical PedagogyCritical Pedagogy

The definition of Critical The definition of Critical PedagogyPedagogy• a range of critical attitudes and skills in the a range of critical attitudes and skills in the

process of interpreting texts. (Duzzer and process of interpreting texts. (Duzzer and Florez, 1999)Florez, 1999)

• by by questioning who, what, why, and how...questioning who, what, why, and how... (Lohrey, 1998). (Lohrey, 1998).

� turn classrooms into places whereturn classrooms into places where the the accepted canons of knowledge can be accepted canons of knowledge can be challenged and questionedchallenged and questioned (Pennycook, (Pennycook, 1994).1994).

• Not opposition but resistance (Wallace, Not opposition but resistance (Wallace, 1999)1999)

What should teachers do to What should teachers do to conduct critical reading? conduct critical reading? • Allow students to express themselves Allow students to express themselves openly. openly.

- Be sensitive to power relationshipBe sensitive to power relationship

• Genuinely respect studentsGenuinely respect students’’ points of points of view. view.

• Encourage both or many sides of an Encourage both or many sides of an issue. issue.

• Do not force students to think just like Do not force students to think just like their teacher. their teacher.

• Brown (2004)Brown (2004)

Is critical reading appllicable Is critical reading appllicable for our settings?for our settings?

• We tend to uncritically apply ELT We tend to uncritically apply ELT methodologies for our local settings...methodologies for our local settings...

• No best methodNo best method (Kanagarajah, 1999) (Kanagarajah, 1999)

• Teachers need to Teachers need to devise pedagogical devise pedagogical strategiesstrategies to suit our specific classroom to suit our specific classroom conditions. (Kanagarajah, 1999)conditions. (Kanagarajah, 1999)

3. Pedagogical strategies for 3. Pedagogical strategies for critical reading in Japancritical reading in Japan

✓ TextText

✓ TaskTask

✓ Response from learnersResponse from learners

Critical Reading course in Critical Reading course in Wallace (2003)Wallace (2003)

•Reading a single text students Reading a single text students broughtbrought

•Analyzing the text based on Analyzing the text based on critical questionscritical questions

• ‘‘Talking backTalking back’’ (Wallace, 2002) (Wallace, 2002) through discussion and speechthrough discussion and speech

3.1. How to choose the text 3.1. How to choose the text for Critical Readingfor Critical Reading

• Deliberate selection of reading materialsDeliberate selection of reading materials

- Western-produced textbook remain Western-produced textbook remain ethnocentric and give little attention to the ethnocentric and give little attention to the sociocultural contexts in which they may be sociocultural contexts in which they may be used. (Ellis, 1990)used. (Ellis, 1990)

• To To pose problemspose problems and engage students in and engage students in dialogue and critical reflection. (Auerbach, 1995)dialogue and critical reflection. (Auerbach, 1995)

• To select the texts written byTo select the texts written by literate English literate English (Wallace, 2002)(Wallace, 2002)

What is What is ‘‘Literate EnglishLiterate English’’??

• ““...literate English, ...most like...literate English, ...most like formal formal written English such as we encounter in written English such as we encounter in broadsheet newspapersbroadsheet newspapers, ...I am not , ...I am not talking about standard or of native talking about standard or of native speaker English… speaker English… the kind of English we the kind of English we admire for its elegance and eloquence is admire for its elegance and eloquence is frequently not produced by those frequently not produced by those whose first language it is.whose first language it is.”” (Wallace, (Wallace, 2002, 105).2002, 105).

3.2. How to set up tasks3.2. How to set up tasks

• Making tasks and questions based on Making tasks and questions based on critical critical interpretation of the textsinterpretation of the texts::

- On what basis is it selected?On what basis is it selected?

- Who wrote it and for what purpose?Who wrote it and for what purpose?

- Whose voice does it represent?Whose voice does it represent?

- How is its content related to the reality of How is its content related to the reality of studentsstudents’’ lives? lives?

- What kinds of responses are expected? What kinds of responses are expected?

• (Auerbach 1995, Wallace 1993)(Auerbach 1995, Wallace 1993)

3.3. Feedback from learners3.3. Feedback from learners

• Providing the students with more Providing the students with more opportunities for opportunities for ““dialogic inquirydialogic inquiry”” (Wells, (Wells, 1999) or 1999) or ““talking backtalking back””

- Less suitable for Japanese ELT Less suitable for Japanese ELT settingssettings

� ““WritingWriting backback”” to express their values to express their values and vision (Pennycook, 1994)and vision (Pennycook, 1994)

The availability of writing The availability of writing back back

• ……the the written word offers written word offers [non-native [non-native speakers] the possibility of speakers] the possibility of expressingexpressing the reflecting upon the reflecting upon their their unique experience unique experience as immigrants and as immigrants and foreigners.foreigners.

• (Kramsch and Lam 1999, 71)(Kramsch and Lam 1999, 71)

4. Implementation in my local 4. Implementation in my local settingsetting

‣ Class: English Reading consisting of Class: English Reading consisting of 15 classes in a semester. 15 classes in a semester.

- I conducted critical reading as one I conducted critical reading as one of theses classes. of theses classes.

‣ Students: 36 sophomore Japanese Students: 36 sophomore Japanese students from the department of students from the department of veterinaryveterinary

‣ Level: upper intermediate, but less Level: upper intermediate, but less motivatedmotivated

4.1. Reading materials4.1. Reading materials

• The same topic from 3 English The same topic from 3 English newspapersnewspapers

• Cited from South Korea, Japan and Cited from South Korea, Japan and the U.K. the U.K.

• About About ““eating dog meateating dog meat””

- ““It is the teacherIt is the teacher’’s job to investigate s job to investigate and re-present this reality and re-present this reality in in problematized formproblematized form to the learners. to the learners.”” (Auerbach, 1995:12). (Auerbach, 1995:12).

4.2. Task 14.2. Task 1• Who do you think wrote each Who do you think wrote each

article?article?- Korean butchers will stop

this puppy being man’s best friend.

- Dog Meat Thrice A Day?

- A Traditional Dish: Dog Meat

Task 2Task 2

• After reading these articles, After reading these articles, learners are asked...learners are asked...

•

- For whom was each article For whom was each article produced? produced?

- Why was each article produced? Why was each article produced?

- From what expression or content of From what expression or content of each article can you recognize each article can you recognize them?them?

4.3. Talking back4.3. Talking back

• Discuss with your neighbor(s). Discuss with your neighbor(s).

Do we have the right of criticizing Do we have the right of criticizing others for eating the food we others for eating the food we

have never eaten? have never eaten?

Active Active ““talking backtalking back”” was not held, but... was not held, but...

4.4. Writing Back4.4. Writing Back

...in ways of writing-of 'writing back', ...in ways of writing-of 'writing back', English is English is used for learnersused for learners’’ own purposes own purposes. (Pennycook, . (Pennycook, 1994)1994)

Example of writing back Example of writing back (1)(1)

•We use many animals for various We use many animals for various purposes such as food, pet and purposes such as food, pet and experimental animal, some of which experimental animal, some of which are sacrificed by our lives without our are sacrificed by our lives without our noticing it. These animals include noticing it. These animals include dogs or primates, so we cannot dogs or primates, so we cannot criticize eating dog meat. criticize eating dog meat.

Examples of writing back Examples of writing back (2)(2)

•Honestly, it is not very exciting to Honestly, it is not very exciting to imagine dogs being slaughtered but imagine dogs being slaughtered but the Koreans are just doing the same the Koreans are just doing the same things we do when we eat beef and things we do when we eat beef and pork. I believe no matter what animals pork. I believe no matter what animals are, our life never outweighs another.are, our life never outweighs another.

Examples of writing back Examples of writing back (3)(3)

• We have the right to criticize, not to We have the right to criticize, not to force. force.

• It is impossible to completely understand It is impossible to completely understand the cultures of other countries. the cultures of other countries.

• We cannot deny culture. It is the case We cannot deny culture. It is the case with eating whales in Japan. with eating whales in Japan.

• Although there are many opinions on Although there are many opinions on eating meat, it is very good to begin this eating meat, it is very good to begin this argument by criticizing it. argument by criticizing it.

5. Conclusion5. Conclusion

• Students didnStudents didn’’t accept the voicest accept the voices from from texts and texts and wrote back to express their valueswrote back to express their values..

- not opposition but resistance (Wallace, not opposition but resistance (Wallace, 1999)1999)

• Pedagogical strategies Pedagogical strategies are needed are needed according to our local settings (Canagarajah, according to our local settings (Canagarajah, 1999). 1999).

• It would be It would be possible to carry out Critical possible to carry out Critical ReadingReading in the Japanese settings. in the Japanese settings.

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