Critical Pedagogy for Humanizing EFL Education: A Qualitative Case Study

Critical pedagogy aims to humanize education and social change. In the realm of language learning, it attempts to create an environment in which learning goes beyond language acquisition to nurture empathy, mutual respect, cultural understanding, and critical thinking. Although critical language pedagogy (CLP) strategies are recognized as powerful pedagogical tools, they remain underutilized in practice, which reveals a research gap in understanding how these approaches can be effectively integrated into real educational contexts. This qualitative case study, which is part of a larger research project conducted in Ecuador, explores the experiences of students of English as a foreign language and pre-service teachers’ perceptions of CLP on learning and teaching English. Data were collected through artifacts, including drawings and videos in which participants expressed their feelings and described their experiences during lessons. Additionally, after the implementation of CLP, focus group discussions were conducted with pre-service teachers who were in charge of facilitating the English lessons to children in vulnerable situations. Findings underscore the transformative potential of CLP to create inclusive and empowering learning environments, foster emotional expression and cultural awareness among students, and promote dialogic and reflective practices. The study highlights the value of participatory methodologies for addressing the specific needs of marginalized learners and preparing future educators to engage meaningfully in socially responsive teaching practices.