YLT SIG Jan 2024

Making English language learning socially just:Topics, materials, and activities

Dario Luis Banegas University of Edinburgh

questions

• How can teachers and learners make ELT participatory, inclusive, and context-appropriate?
• How can ELT become relevant?
• How can ELT lead to equity?

Let me tell you a little story about a project...

SOCIAL JUSTICE

+TOPICS

'We don't normally talk about what happens to us, things we care about for real. I mean, we do, but it's like once a year, and very superficially'

- Dina, student

PROVOCATION

Why are some topics avoided? Are these perhaps the ones that really matter?

let's take a look at

materials

social media posts

reviews

students' own ideas

let's take a look at...

activities

Reflection

Awareness raising

Descriptive

Localisation

Awareness raising

Defining

Understanding

Activism

TEachers

Internal tensions between understanding & enactment of SJ & the principles of relevance & representation

Creative & cross curricular connections

Reached out to the community

Interest in developing professional knowledge further

'The lessons helped us develop empathy and realise that not all of us have the same opportunities'

- Catalina, student

Thanks!

democracy

With this function...

You can add additional content that will excite your audience's brain: videos, images, links, interactivity... Whatever you want!

Here you can include a relevant piece of information to highlight

With this function...

You can add additional exciting content that captivates your audience's brain: videos, images, links, interactivity... Whatever you want!

Here you can include a relevant piece of information to highlight

With this function...

You can add additional exciting content that engages your audience's brain: videos, images, links, interactivity... Whatever you want!

Here you can include a noteworthy piece of information

• Equality - equity
• Identity
• Human rights
• Discrimination due to social class
• Gender identities
• Access to quality ed.
• Bullying
• Valuing the local/regional

With this function...

You can add additional content that excites the brains of your audience: videos, images, links, interactivity... Whatever you want!

Here you can include a relevant data to highlight

inclusion

videos, photos, posts, comments, ads, reels in English and/or Spanish

relevance