"Is This a Safe Space?": Examining an Emotionally Charged Eruption in Critical Language Pedagogy

Autor/in	West, Gordon Blaine
Titel	"Is This a Safe Space?": Examining an Emotionally Charged Eruption in Critical Language Pedagogy
Quelle	In: Education Sciences, 11 (2021), Artikel 186 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (West, Gordon Blaine)
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2227-7102
Schlagwörter	Social Justice; Critical Theory; Emotional Response; Homosexuality; Social Bias; Inservice Teacher Education; Feminism; Controversial Issues (Course Content); Power Structure; Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; English (Second Language); Language Teachers; Teaching Methods; Foreign Countries; Vignettes; High School Students; South Korea + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Soziale Gerechtigkeit; Kritische Theorie; Emotionales Verhalten; Homosexualität; Lehrerfortbildung; Feminismus; Controversial issues; Kontroverse; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Fremdsprachenunterricht; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Language teacher; Sprachunterricht; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Ausland; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Korea; Republik
Abstract	Unexpected conflicts, or eruptions, in class during discussions of controversial issues are not uncommon in the field of English language teaching (ELT). This can be especially true for critical English language teachers who hope to address social justice issues in their classrooms. Existing literature of these events often mentions emotional responses of teachers and students, without fully analyzing the ways in which emotions are processed and constrained around these eruptions. This article examines a homophobic incident during an in-service English language teacher course taught by the author to illustrate ways in which emotions shaped the response to the incident, and how social justice aims can be achieved for critical language teachers in emotionally challenging environments, where there may be competing claims of injustice and narratives of oppression. Drawing on feminist theories of emotion, the case is made for a conceptualization of emotions not as private, individual experiences, but rather as public, socioculturally and materially mediated experiences. Social justice is theorized as an active fight against injustices that cannot be seen as an individual, isolated effort. Implications for critical language educators are shared. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01