Literacy And Critical Literacy

Incorporating a critical literacy perspective into the foreign language classroom may seem daunting at first, but it is not impossible. As Barbara Comber argues, curriculum that focuses on “critical social action and textual production is often reserved for adult or workplace domains" (453), however, incorporating this perspective into the classroom can help “connect them with community members about matters of immediate significance" (453). The practices of critical literacy can allow the students to think outside the box, develop both as individuals and collectively, “claim value in their experiences and critique mainstream ideals that marginalize them and their families" (Jones 60).

As Jones explains, "critical literacy offers the tools to investigate language constructions … through the assumption that anything that has been constructed through

Even if the students are non-heritage and/or native English-speakers, odds are by living in New York City they have already been significantly exposed to vital aspects of the Latin American culture, whether it be music, food, and/or the language itself. The problem with these popular assumptions of the alleged identity of Latino people is that, as with most assumptions, they are often problematic, based on false beliefs that are continuously spread. As Jones mentions, these understandings “are passed on both implicitly and explicitly to children who [are] enculturated to continue constructing and judging in similar ways" (58). The “Do Now” activity for this lesson will be: What do you know about Latin American culture? Students will be given a chart (fig.1) where they will write their answers. They will have four minutes to write their “confirming” thoughts, in Spanish, on what they know or have heard about Latin American identity. The students will then share out their responses, in an open-dialogue, that allows everyone the opportunity to voice their