Engaging Critical Pedagogy: Spanish for Native Speakers

Abstract: This article addresses Spanish for native speakers (SNS) instruction from the perspective of critical pedagogy, including the critical examination of dominant educational paradigms as well as the proposal of alternative models. Emphasizing the inherently political nature of education and the role of language in the production of knowledge, culture, and identities, the author analyzes current models of SNS and argues that appropriateness-based models designed to promote expansion of students' linguistic repertoires may reinforce dominant sociolinguistic hierarchies and deny student agency. An emerging critical approach is considered, and a proposal that emphasizes the political—as well as the formal and social—aspects of language, and the promotion of student agency is presented. Specific suggestions for the implementation of the proposed approach are provided.