#14: Does Social Justice Belong in the Chinese Classroom?

The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast

On air January 20th, 2020. Recorded January 19th, 2020.

This week, schools all over the United States are honoring the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy of advancing civil rights and racial equity. Social justice has long been a centerpiece on discussions regarding teaching culture through authentic materials in the world language classroom. But has that discussion fully reached the Chinese teaching world yet? It’s hard to say. What does a lesson on Black history in Chinese class even look like?

In this episode, we discuss the language acquisition-based justifications for integrating social justice and ethnic studies into the language classroom, and how politically relevant authentic materials are key in keeping students engaged in language study.

But beyond that, we also take a look into the value of teaching politics and history in the Chinese language classroom. In today’s geopolitical climate, students don’t just associate mooncakes and dumplings with China — they’re also thinking about Hong Kong and human rights. How do we answer these questions ethically? Are “ethics” defined by political impartiality or an educational mission pointed towards justice?

Make no mistake: there are real risks involved that make political discussion very complicated in the Chinese classroom. But there are even more reasons that make it not just worthwhile, but absolutely necessary.

Show notes at badchineseteacher.com.

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