A Study on the Possibility of Problematizing Social Practices in an EFL College Classroom

A Study on the Possibility of Problematizing Social Practices in an EFL College Classroom

This study investigates the possibility of problematizing social practices (PSP) in an EFL college classroom. It explores 1) the dominant EFL teaching methods currently employed in secondary education and their limitations, 2) the differences of PSP from traditional language teaching methods, and 3) the experiences of EFL learners in PSP. Of the twenty three college junior students majoring in English, six students voluntarily participated in this study. Notes on class observations, interviews with the teacher and the students, and students' retrospective writing were collected and analyzed. The results of the study suggest that the students in the EFL environment can adapt themselves to a class where a critical pedagogy permeates. They came to see their own knowledge, experiences, culture, and beliefs from new perspectives through the problematizing social practice of learning English. Furthermore, the students came to understand the importance of process-oriented English learning instead of the traditional product-oriented learning in a decontextualized setting. Thus, the study suggests that PSP can be implemented in an EFL context and can guide students to engage in meaningful learning and critical thinking. Finally, some implications of using PSP and the limitations of the study are also discussed.