Challenges and Possibilities of Social Justice Language Education in a Difficult Context in the Global South

Abstract

This article describes the challenges and possibilities of implementing social justice language education in a difficult context in the Global South. Six Argentinian English language university teachers and tutors developed and implemented a social justice project during 2017–2018 in a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) in Argentina. The project aimed at challenging the ‘conditions of possibility’ of underserved children aged 8–12 who attended the NGO for school support and extra-curricular activities. Data comprise reflection logs written by the university teachers and tutors during project implementation and a survey applied after project completion. Qualitative data analysis reveals two specific difficulties involved in enacting social justice language education locally, namely a disconnection between theory and practice and difficulty in grasping local conditions and developing sensitivity to the context. The analysis also led to the identification of two areas with potential to impact positively on social justice language education: an experientially grounded project and teachers’ self-perception as moral agents. Implications for social justice teacher education are discussed.