Enacting a Global Englishes and Critical Pedagogy Integrated Curriculum in Korean High School English as a Foreign Language Classrooms

Abstract

This study examines the enactment of Global Englishes (GE) curriculum in public high school English as a foreign language classrooms in South Korea. Data collection involved pre‐ and post‐course surveys (N = 217, nine classrooms), students' written responses, and their oral presentations. The findings highlight the necessity of adopting a critical perspective as the initial step to incorporate GE in these classrooms. They also recommend integrating GE curriculum within the existing assessment framework. After curriculum enactment based on critical pedagogy and GE took place over the course of a year, the results from the post‐course survey indicated positive changes in students' receptiveness to GE, their perceptions of Outer Circle varieties, and their confidence in engaging in intercultural communication. Students' written responses also demonstrated an enhanced critical awareness of GE‐related issues. However, there was no significant change in their perceptions regarding the exclusion of GE in listening tests, their low preference for Expanding Circle varieties, and their limited multicultural communication skills. The pedagogical implications of this study are relevant not only for GE educators but also for those who enact locally driven curriculum innovations within test‐oriented contexts.