Motivated by a general focus on global education and the ability to participate in societal
discourses, contemporary English language education has increasingly paid attention to the
inclusion of political topics such as poverty, migration, racism, diversity and sustainability. As political discourse transcends national borders, socio-political decisions and developments impact the lives of learners all over the world. Thus, individuals need to consider their own citizenship beyond their nation-state. In education, the principles of learner orientation further centers teaching endeavors on the desired outcome to provide learners with the ability to analyze societies and to develop an understanding of their own positionality with their societal contexts. With this and the focus in language education on ‘global issues’ and English as ‘lingua franca’ in mind, political features therefore seem part and parcel of teaching English. Yet, how are the principles of English teaching and learning (as a foreign language) reconciled with political education? Qui bono?

Regarding issues of participation and political discourse in North American Culture and
Society with a particular focus on (language) education, the following questions could be
addressed in this workshop:

– the question of content: texts, images, (symbolic) language features, cultural products or phenomena;
– the changing of perspectives and method variety: with teaching approaches, procedures, or techniques in the classroom to teach English with or through political issues;
– the political dialogue between subjects (English and Political Education, Citizenship(s) Education), between historical periods, between regions and social spaces;
– the interfaces of classroom, school and society: social movements, initiatives, democratic institutions and elections, young people’s political and societal participation, political transformation and dissent.

We invite papers, projects or case studies on English Language Education and the teaching
of American literature, culture and society with a focus on language education and TESOL
context. Proposed papers for this workshop may focus on, but are not restricted to, any
political issue that lends itself to the English language classroom, such as gender & queer
studies, anti-racist education and #blacklivesmatter, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, inclusive
education and disability studies, travel and (im)migration, socio-environmental injustices and ecoracism, #fff and environmental education. Talks are welcome to combine the different fields of study with research on teaching languages, literatures, cultures and societies.

Confirmed Speakers
• Nicholas McGuinn & Amanda Naylor (York): “The Ambiguity of Belonging: Working
With the Poetry of Luis J. Rodríguez in the Abitur Classroom”
• Katharina Glas (Valparaiso) “Indigenous Perspectives on Socio-Environmental
Injustice” (working title)
• Amanda Halter (Jena) “Addressing a Failing US Environmental Education: The
Potential of Contemporary YA Anthropocene Fiction“”

Workshop Organizers:
Uwe Küchler (Universität Tübingen) uwe.kuechler@uni-tuebingen.de
Silke Braselmann (Universität Jena): silke.braselmann@uni-jena.de
Ricardo Römhild (Universität Münster): ricardo.roemhild@wwu.de