From Academic Literacy to Critical Literacy:

Re-imagining English Language Pedagogy in Indian Higher Education

Abstract

This paper will argue that the dominant imagining of ‘academic literacy’ as an organising framework for English language learning within both public and private universities in India cannot adequately engage with the imperative of social and political empowerment for disadvantaged students. Instead, I will propose that the critical literacy orientation, by foregrounding the question of power in language learning as well as emphasising the role of language in re-imagining both interpersonal and institutional practices, can offer a powerful alternative to the existing models of pedagogic and writing support across public/private university settings. The paper will conclude by providing a few conceptual and practical pointers for how existing literacy programs may work towards developing such an orientation.