Abstract
This paper delves into how language can act as a weapon of exclusion, evident in everyday language and historical narratives that perpetuate stereotypes and create division. However, language and culture classrooms can become laboratories for dismantling these structures. By analyzing and deconstructing narratives that perpetuate the silencing or exclusion of marginalized voices, they become critical spaces for fostering intercultural understanding and empathy, both on and off campus. Through an exploration of historical and contemporary examples of dehumanizing and divisive discourse, this paper highlights how language contributes to the processes of othering and exclusion. The use of loaded language and thought-terminating clichés are shown to be central mechanisms in these processes, which educators must actively challenge. The paper argues for a pedagogical approach that emphasizes critical thinking and interpretative analysis, treating language not merely as a communicative tool but as a powerful force that shapes reality and social structures. Furthermore, incorporating diverse voices through authentic materials and guest speakers fosters empathy and other-oriented perspective-taking. Students are encouraged to see the world through different lenses, challenging their own biases and fostering a more inclusive understanding. By equipping them with these critical thinking skills, language educators ensure that students are not merely passive recipients of information but are active participants in the ongoing dialogue surrounding the complex sociopolitical challenges shaping our world.
Presenters
Gorka Bilbao TerrerosSenior Lecturer, Spanish and Portuguese, Princeton University, New Jersey, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Past and Present in the Humanistic Education
KEYWORDS
Language Education, Intercultural Understanding, Critical Thinking, Multiliteracies, Otherness, Loaded Language
