Critical Pedagogies and Language Learning (review)

Critical Pedagogies and Language Learning, edited by Bonny Norton and Kelleen Toohey, is an important book that brings together a wide variety of critical perspectives on language teaching and learning. In their introduction, the editors note that critical pedagogies are concerned with 'relationships between language learning and social change' (p. 1). They point out that connections between social relationships, language, and power are central to this framework. The chapter by Aneta Pavlenko adds that the goals of critical perspectives are

(a) to understand the relationship between power and knowledge; (b) to theorize the role of language in production and reproduction of power, difference, and symbolic domination; and (c) to deconstruct master narratives that oppress certain groups ... and devalue their linguistic practices.

(p. 53)

The book includes an introduction and 16 additional chapters grouped into four sections. The introduction provides an overview of the book by briefly summarizing and commenting on the chapters that follow. The four chapters in section 1, entitled 'Reconceptualizing Second Language Education,' are more theoretically oriented than the remaining contributions in the sense that they are less concerned with the implementation of specific pedagogical or research initiatives. The broad ideas presented in this first section are helpful for understanding and reflecting on the specific contexts described in the remainder of the volume. For example, the chapter by Ryuko Kubota provides a very useful discussion of how critical perspectives differ from liberal ones.

Section 2, 'Challenging Identities,' and section 3, 'Researching Critical Perspectives,' feature chapters covering a wide variety of topics, contexts, issues, and disciplines. While this diversity of perspectives is one of the book's strengths, it appears to have created some challenges with respect to grouping and organizing the chapters. In sections 2 and 3 in particular, it is not always clear how the various contributions relate to the section's theme. In section 4, 'Educating Teachers for Change,' the rationale for the grouping of chapters is more evident, given that all the contributions to this section illustrate ways in which critical perspectives on language teaching can be incorporated into teacher education programs.

Several chapters in the book consist largely of descriptions of pedagogical and/or research initiatives – particularly those designed to raise students' or teachers' critical awareness. In some cases, these chapters could have been further enhanced by additional theoretical background or analysis. Nonetheless, the courses, programs, and research projects described provide valuable illustrations of the critical theories and perspectives that underlie them. The book's focus on specific, concrete applications may stem from the fact that critical pedagogies are frequently criticized for being too theoretical and distant from practice.

Although Critical Pedagogies and Language Learning does not provide a cohesive general background or historical overview of critical theories, scattered throughout the volume are glimpses of the foundational texts. The chapter by Sue Starfield, for example, provides some useful historical context by describing early views of critical pedagogy and subsequent critiques. However, the majority of the book focuses on applications, rather than discussions, of theoretical perspectives. This focus may help to make it more accessible to those who are less familiar with the theoretical discourse of critical paradigms. On the other hand, it means that if this book is used as an introductory text, it may need to be supplemented with additional background readings to explicate the underlying theoretical frameworks.

As noted above, the diversity of the contributions to this volume is impressive. The chapters represent scholars working in various geographical regions (including North America, Africa, and Asia) as well as numerous – and often intertwined – theoretical frameworks such as postmodernism, postcolonialism, feminism, and critical pedagogy. While the multidisciplinary approach to the subject matter should serve to broaden the book's appeal, it also means that some of the ideas and terminology may seem unfamiliar.

Critical Pedagogies and Language Learning will be of interest to a wide audience that includes teachers, teacher educators, and applied linguists. It would be very useful as a textbook for graduate courses in education or applied linguistics, and...