Teachers as Learners in the ESL Classroom: It's old news, but it's news to me

Résumé

In this article, an ESL instructor reflects on her preconceptions of power and control in the classroom. In the community-based program described, learners determined not only when and where classes would take place, but also the aims, curriculum, and content of the program. The challenges of this setting required the instructor to redefine her role in the classroom. After pursuing a more thorough review of the literture, the author hegan to realize that she had come upon a model that is not new and is part of a well-established tradition of participatory learning.