English Learning: Pedagogical Discourses, Challenges, and Prospectives

Abstract

This research examined the discursive construction of pedagogical concepts of English teachers and the Ministry of Education in Colombia about the learning process of this language. The study addressed this issue by adopting a social and critical approach to the qualitative paradigm. It applied the Critical Discourse Analysis framework and revealed that the discourses do not promote an education that strengthens interculturality, critical thinking and diversity, which are pivotal components to attaining social equity. On the contrary, the discourses divert the social role of education to a purely linguistic approach. In addition, the discourses portray culture's meaning as folkloric and tourist, not revealing the positive and negative realities that have impacted different social groups. Hence, this investigation suggests changing the concept of learning English from a rigid and traditional perspective to an enriching experience that opens students' minds to linguistic aspects and cultures, social realities, and diversity. For this reason, it proposes English learning through a critical approach, connecting worldwide social realities with interculturality.