Language Education for Conscientização and Activism:

Toward a Framework of Participatory Language Pedagogy and Research

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The field of language education has long been shaped by a neutral view of language teaching as a linguistic, cognitive, or sociocultural process for developing the learner’s linguistic knowledge and communicative competence. It often leads to a decontextualized, banking model of language education that fails to address social inequalities that impact students’ schooling and everyday experiences. In this talk, drawing on theories from critical applied linguistics, critical pedagogy, and youth participatory action research, I articulate a framework of participatory language pedagogy and research that moves beyond a singular focus on linguistic forms to view language education as a site for conscientização (critical consciousness) and activism. Participatory language pedagogy, rooted in Freire’s (1970) emancipatory view of literacy and pedagogy, bridges the word and the world and centers on the students’ own concerns and critical insights about their everyday life. It integrates language learning and activism and aims at developing language learners’ critical consciousness of their social inequality and their capacity for taking action against the oppressive forces and structures. I illustrate this approach to language education with my ongoing participatory action research in one US high school with immigrant youth and their teachers – “Immigrant Literacy and Dignity Project.” At a time of heightened inequality and massive injustice, it is crucial to center participatory pedagogy and research in language education for activism and social change. 

Biodata

 

Dr. Qin's research centers on understanding and addressing inequality in and through language and literacy education of immigrant youth in U.S. schools. Drawing on critical race theories, gender studies, poststructuralist theories, postcolonial theories, and discourse analysis, his work is driven by questions that lie at the intersections of language, pedagogy, identity, and justice. Dr. Qin's work features three interrelated research programs: (1) understanding the relationship of identity, gender, and racialization in immigrant students’ language learning, (2) examining equity-based instruction for immigrant students, and (3) advancing educational equity in language education and immigrant learner education through antiracist pedagogy and research. 

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Dr. Qin's current research project focuses on addressing inequalities through language education, particularly through anti-racist pedagogies and critical participatory action research with immigrant learners in K-12 classrooms and with their teachers. This project is supported with a 2022 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship.

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Dr. Qin's scholarship has been published in prominent peer-reviewed journals in language and literacy education, teacher education, and general education research, including The Modern Language Journal, Reading Research Quarterly, Research in the Teaching of English, International Multilingual Research Journal, Beijing International Review of Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, and Urban Education.