Critical Language Awareness

Abstract

Intellectual and Social ContextIn the latter half of the 20th century, applied linguists, dissatisfied with the positioning of language teaching, called for a multidimensional curriculum to reframe teaching (about) languages, be they first or heritage languages (L1s or HLs); English as a second, foreign or international language (ESL, EFL and EIL); or other foreign languages (FLs). Their dissatisfaction stemmed from languages being viewed in isolation (like linguistic silos), an overemphasis on teaching the four skills in a discrete (unintegrated) manner, and decontextualized grammar and vocabulary teaching. Out of this discontent grew the notion of "language awareness," with language awareness pedagogy implemented in the UK school system for the first time in 1974. The notion and pedagogical interventions emerged from the desire to bridge languages taught in isolation, and recognize the role language plays in all subject matter teaching (i.e., language-across-the-curriculum) (Hawkins, 1999).Later, applied linguists argued that the grammatical and lexical choices authors make in written discourse or other semiotic "texts" are not neutral; their choices can persuade and influence readers of science or business texts just as much as they can shape how polemic arguments are CRITICAL LANGUAGE AWARENESS 2 interpreted. Researchers advocated for students to be taught how to read texts critically as part of the school curriculum, arguing that they need explicit instruction on how lexical and syntactic maneuvering can position texts as authoritative and thus influence whether EIL students interpret positions and claims as trustworthy and credible (e.g., Clark, Fairclough, Ivanič, & Martin-Jones, 1991). Students need to be aware that no text is neutral, and that authors can make their points without explicitly revealing their partipris. Applied linguists called for explicit, yet age-appropriate, instruction on critical discourse analysis to equip students with the skills needed to "read" texts critically (including oral, visual, and other texts), and recognize veiled ideologies expressed through seemingly neutral, yet persuasive, lexical choices, phraseology, and symbols. Students able to discern persuasive (not neutral) manifestations of worldviews expressed through vocabulary choices, as well as syntactic and other constructions are deemed to have "critical language awareness" (CLA), or an awareness of "how language conventions and language practices are invested with power relations and ideological processes which people are often unaware of" (Fairclough, 1992(Fairclough, /2014. CRITICAL LANGUAGE AWARENESS 3For EIL students to understand these conventions, practices, relations, and processes, they must first understand worldviews; ideologies; diversity issues involving power, class, gender, race, sexuality; how discussions of language are frequently invisibilized; and, finally, discourse features and techniques. These philosophical, ideological, metalinguistic, and pragmatic issues and topics are not within everyone's ...

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