Configurations of alterity in second language—Spanish and English—pedagogical practices in Colombia
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Abstract
The relationship between racial identity, Spanish and English learning as second language, and educational practices and policies has not yet been studied in depth in the Colombian context. To contribute to tackle this issue, we examine how alterity is perceived and configured in pedagogical practices of some Spanish and English teachers. Based on the contributions of Critical Race Theory and, in terms of methodology, supported by Critical Discourse Analysis, we examine teachers’ perceptions and configurations of alterity imbued in their understandings of pedagogical practices. Main findings highlight the permanence of colonial discourses in the perception and configuration of alterity on the part of some teachers, and how such colonial views shape their pedagogical practices. Doing this type of analysis, from our role as educators, raises questions regarding teachers’ political responsibility to combat any type of discrimination.
Keywords
alterity, language teaching, english, spanish, pedagogical practice, racialization
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