Addressing Anti-Black Racism in English Language Teaching: Experiences from Duoethnography Research

Abstract

Anti-Black racism can be difficult to discuss in English language teaching because teachers often feel unprepared. This article describes our experiences as researchers and educators from a duoethnographic self-study to understanding the possibilities of addressing social justice issues in an adult English as a second language (ESL) classroom. Using the concepts of anti-racism and solidarity, we explored how teachers can plan, deliver, and evaluate lessons that resonate with the students' academic needs, while also addressing discrimination against marginalized communities. We gathered data from conversations via Zoom and electronic communications as well as various classroom materials and analyzed them to find emerging themes. The data revealed that addressing anti-Black racism in the ESL classroom comes with tensions about sparking trauma among students, a lack of time to prepare the content, and how to create safe spaces for students. This article proposes that despite the difficulties teachers might experience when addressing these topics, vigorous work must be done to actively challenge the privileges and oppression that are present not only in classroom practices but also in personal experiences.