Taboos and Controversial Issues in Foreign Language Education : Critical Language Pedagogy in Theory, Research and Practice.

This edited volume provides innovative insights into how critical language pedagogy and taboo topics can inform and transform the teaching and learning of foreign languages. The book investigates the potential as well as the challenges involved in dealing with taboo topics in the foreign language classroom. These are traditionally often subsumed under the acronym PARSNIP (politics, alcohol, religion, narcotics, isms, and pork) to critically examine how challenging topics such as disability, racism, conspiracy theories and taboo language can be integrated into conceptual teaching frameworks and teaching practice. It draws on examples from literacy texts and pop culture such as young adult novels, music videos, or rap songs and investigates their potential for developing critical literacies. The book considers foreign language teaching outside of English teaching contexts and sets the groundwork for addressing the integration of taboo topics in foreign language education theory, research and practice. Filling an important gap in educational research, the book will be of great interest to researchers, academics and students of foreign language education, critical pedagogy and applied linguistics. It will also be useful reading for teacher trainers and educators of foreign language education.