Review: Chris Searle (1998). None but Our Words: Critical Literacy in Classroom and Community

Abstract

SEARLE's book is crucial reading for those interested in critical pedagogy. Based on his teaching experience in different countries over a period of twenty-five years, SEARLE describes education as it is connected with social concerns. Following the principles of the Brazilian pedagogue Paulo FREIRE, SEARLE encouraged his working class students to express their reality through poems, plays, and short stories. In doing so, both SEARLE and his young students became aware that they had the power to drive the curriculum towards goals that were connected with their own social problems or those of other working class communities. In addition, the students were empowered to make a difference in their own lives. This book is a good resource for educators who are willing to try alternative ways of teaching. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0204315

Keywords

• language of empathy
• social commitment and responsibility
• cultural reflection and action
• political struggles
• creativity
• multiculturalism