Exploring the Critical in Critical Approaches to Language Education

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Published: Jul 25, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/grsr.42211
Keywords:
critical thinking, critical pedagogy, critical literacy, critical language awareness
Bessie Mitsikopoulou
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Abstract

The article explores how the term critical is interpreted across four key approaches to language education: critical thinking, critical pedagogy, critical literacy, and critical language awareness. It examines the theoretical principles, epistemological assumptions, and pedagogical goals of each, highlighting both convergences and differences. Particular attention is given to the kinds of learners and citizens each approach seeks to cultivate. The analysis encourages reflection on how criticality is understood and enacted in diverse educational contexts, offering insights for more coherent and transformative language teaching practices.

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Author Biography
Bessie Mitsikopoulou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

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