World Language Education As Critical Pedagogy : The Promise of Social Justice

Accessible and cutting-edge, this text is a pivotal update to the field and offers a much-needed critical perspective on world language education. Building off their classic 2002 book, The Foreign Language Educator in Society, Timothy G. Reagan and Terry A. Osborn address major issues facing the world language educator today, including language myths, advocacy, the perceived and real benefits of language learning, linguistic human rights, constructivism, learning theories, language standards, monolingualism, bilingualism and multiculturalism. Organized into three parts – "Knowing Language," "Learning Language," and "Teaching Language" – this book applies a critical take on conventional wisdom on language education, evaluates social and political realities, assumptions, and controversies in the field. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and discussion to support students and educators in developing their own perspectives on teaching and learning languages. With a critical pedagogy and social justice lens, this book is ideal for scholars and students in foreign/world language education, social justice education, and language teaching methodology courses, as well as pre- and in-service teachers. "Accessible and cutting-edge, this text is a pivotal update to the field and offers a much-needed critical perspective on world language education. Building off their classic 2002 book, The Foreign Language Educator in Society, Timothy G. Reagan and Terry A. Osborn address major issues facing the world language educator today, including language myths, advocacy, the perceived and real benefits of language learning, linguistic human rights, constructivism, learning theories, language standards, monolingualism, and teaching the classics. Organized into three Parts-Knowing Language, Learning Language, and Teaching Language-this book applies a critical take on conventional wisdom on language education, evaluates social and political realities, assumptions, and controversies in the field. Each chapter includes Questions for Reflection and Discussion to support students and educators in developing their own perspectives on teaching and learning languages. With a critical pedagogy and social justice lens, this book is ideal for scholars and students in foreign/world language education, social justice education, and language teaching methodology courses, as well as pre- and in-service teachers"-- Provided by publisher Contents 6 List of Illustrations 10 Author Biographies 11 List of Abbreviations 13 Acknowledgements 15 1 Introduction: World Language Educators Still Need Critical Pedagogy 16 Part I: Knowing Language 28 2 Language and Language Mythology: What We Need to Learn and Unlearn 30 3 Linguistic Legitimacy and the World Language Educator: Whose Language is Real? 58 Part II: Learning Language 94 4 Why Study a Foreign Language? The Case for World Language Education 96 5 Learning Languages: Constructivism and World Language Education 128 Part III: Teaching Language 180 6 When Methodology Fails: A Critical Look at World Language Education 182 7 The World Language Educator and Critical Reflective Practice: Toward Emancipatory Knowledge 205 8 World Language Education, Critical Pedagogy and Social Justice: Toward Conscientização 226 9 Challenging Ideology in the Curriculum: The Role of Critical Pedagogy and Social Justice Education 256 10 Critical Pedagogy, Social Justice, and National Standards: An Insurmountable Dilemma? 294 11 The Empire Strikes Back: Toward an Epilogue 307 Index 325