Participatory approach, also known as Freirean Approach, is a teaching strategy that incorporates themes or content area that are of interest to the learners. Freire contends that unjust social circumstances originate from illiteracy and the reason for seeking education is to empower learners to take a proactive stance in liberating themselves from their burdens (Spencer 1992). The Participatory approach is under the umbrella of Content-Based Instruction (CBI) in that it uses topics for specific purposes. The themes derive from real issues that affect students’ daily lives where language learning is used as a vehicle to solve social problems. There are various activities that can be incorporated in this teaching strategy which aim to develop all language domains in the learning process. According to Auerbach ( as cited in Ross, 1995), learners are also encouraged to take ownership of their learning as well as collaborate with the teacher, including participating in small and whole group activities for learning to be meaningful. However, in the participatory approach meaning precedes form.

     The Participatory Approach is a brainchild of Brazilian language educator Paulo Freire (Check out Paulo Freire's personal interview at the end of this page) . Freire is the author of the book "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". Many researchers have also referred to this method as the Freirean Approach to language literacy education. The goal of this method is to use language learning as a tool to provide solutions to social problems that impact learners in their daily lives. According to Jurno (as cited in Spencer, 1992) Freire contends that unjust social problems originate from illiteracy and the solution lies in helping learners empower themselves from the circumstances they are in.

      The Participatory Approach belongs under the umbrella of CBI because it employs themes and topics that affect or interest learners. With this approach students are taking ownership of their learning as well as adding cooperative learning as they have to collaborate with other classmates in finding and endorsing solutions to social issues that affect the community they belong to. For example, in one of my ESL classes I chose a topic on keeping one’s home safe from burglars. My students gave many ideas on how they could keep their household safe. In this lesson they learned vocabulary items that were specific to the theme; words such as burglar, cat prowler, etc. These vocabulary items enrich their learning. We built on these vocabulary items by using them in sentences both in writing and in speaking exercises. Students also exercised their reading skills by reading specific materials.

What does your keyword “look like” in the classroom?

     A classroom using a participatory approach is different from many teacher-fronted classrooms that have been typical in language learning setting. Participatory approach, through the concept of Freire,  opposes the old "banking method" of teaching where the teacher acts as depositor of information and students act as recipients. Unlike the preceding methods, participatory approach utilizes a two-way transaction of learning. In this method, the teacher and students collaborate with each other with the teacher acting as a guide and facilitator.  Over the course of the lessons, teachers in participatory approach eventually turn over some facets of control to the students. The topics are generated based from students’ realities and previous experience which make up for an authentic and meaningful learning experience. Topics such as providing safety for women and suggesting better solutions to personal struggles and community problems are discussed allowing students to participate by expressing themselves.

Sample Topics/Themes that can be used in the lessons:

• Women and immigration
• Barriers to Education
• Child-care
• Healthcare
• Law and Order
• Women's Empowerment

Suggested Activities:

• Pair work
• Group work
• Whole class
• Two-way Dialogue/Discussion
• Problem-posing
• Problem-solving

The students in this photo are collaborating with their

teacher in finding solution to an issue that affects the

community. The teacher has provided a newspaper 

article for an authentic experience/material. Each student

in this group has to come up with at least two possible

solutions which they will later collect and brainstorm. 

Once they have decided which possible solutions would

work best, they can proceed with either writing a letter

to their local newspaper or to their city mayor and 

councilors. 

     A classroom using a participatory approach uses two-way dialogue, problem-posing, and problem-solving strategies while using language learning as a vehicle. Problem-posing and problem-solving activities support for critical thinking and creative ways to address learners' pressing social issues. Participatory approach is more process-based than product based in its outcome. With participatory approach, students are encouraged to work with fellow students either in pairs, small groups, or in whole groups for collective participation. Activities such as role plays, writing a letter to school board or city management staff, and other functional exponents using the target language and language domains make an important facet in the students learning because these are the tools that will help students liberate from their problems.  

This video showcases Participatory Approach as it is used in the

classroom. The students come from diverse background.

How/why does this keyword concern your current/future students?

     The goal of providing education is to transform students into valuable members of society, where they take active participation in helping solve social issues that confronts the community. Students are empowered to take words into action. Each social issue affects everyone in some way and the need to free from this burden is one of the tenets of participatory approach.

     Freire’s participatory approach is connected with Social Reconstruction Ideology curriculum. Social Reconstruction ideology regard curriculum from a social aspect. According to Schiro (2008), social reconstructionists view society as unhealthy and susceptible to attack and that something has to alleviate society from destroying itself. Hence education and literacy are viewed as ways of reconstructing society., Schiro (2008) posits that education, civic responsibility, and social change go hand in hand: earning an education gives a student the tools to empower himself to be free from the problems (social and personal) he’s confronting; education allows a person to become a responsible member of the community; and finally, education gives a student a better perspective to work on concrete solutions that can bring about social change. 

     As educators, our roles are not limited to teaching language but helping students make use of the language they are learning; that is creating social awareness pertaining to our environment in specific and in general sense. Our students have responsibilities to their societies and by teaching them language we are equipping them with the power of words that can impact their personal lives and the lives of others. By teaching language we are providing new possibilities for students to see things around them in a different perspective; we are giving them voice to express their thoughts and opinions; and we are giving them the power to act. Language is liberating.

     Language teaching and learning have gone a long way.  Recent methods are more learner-centered which also require pro-active involvement by the learners. Language domains can be taught even in specific content-area subjects and it can be used to empower people to free themselves from the social ruts they are in.

Paulo Freire: The man behind Participatory Approach

     The videos below are compilation of the genius behind Participatory Approach. The interview/videos take viewers to the heart and core of Freire and his ideas on education as detailed in his book "The Pedagogy of the Oppressed."

References:

Larsen-Freeman, D. & Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques and Principles in Language

            Teaching. NY: Oxford UP.

Ross, D. (1995). A review of Aurbach’s Making Meaning, Making Change: Participatory

            Curriculum Development of Adult ESL Literacy. Teaching Language as a

          Second or Foreign Language. 1(3), n.p.           

Schiro, M. (2008). Curriculum Theory: Conflicting Visions and Enduring Concerns. LA: Sage

             Publication.

Spencer, D. (1992). The Freirean Approach to Adult Literacy Education. Center for Adult

            English Language Acquisition. Retrieved from:  http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_

                resources/digests/FREIREQA.html