Work

Pedagogies of discomfort in foreign language education: cultivating empathy and solidarity using art and literature

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: In this article we depart from a conceptualisation of foreign language teaching as intercultural citizenship in schools and universities. We extend this conceptualisation by suggesting that foreign language teaching can and should also sensitise students about issues of human suffering and cultivate empathy, solidarity, hospitality and inclusion. In this way language education can create spaces for fostering political, ethical, and social justice responsibilities for changing socially unjust societies. We show how this suggestion was enacted in a higher education setting in Argentina with student teachers and student translators of English using pedagogies of discomfort and pedagogies of empathy and solidarity to deal with difficult issues through arts and literature.

Source: Language and Intercultural Communication

DOI: 10.1080/14708477.2020.1740244

Authors: Melina Porto, Michalinos Zembylas

Institutions: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Open University of Cyprus

Language: English

Topic: EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: Universidad Nacional de La Plata