International Journal of Indonesian Studies Volume 1, Issue 1 | Page 5

International Journal of Indonesian Studies, Vol 1 2013
al., 2000). An important point in the third dimension is focusing on socio-political
systems. This particular focus emphasises the need to link literacy education with the
socio-political context. Indeed, this characteristic separates critical literacy from critical
thinking (Lee, 2012). The last dimension of this framework is taking action which is
often considered as the heart of critical literacy (Van Sluys, Lewison, & Flint, 2006).
Taking action to promote social justice does not always require someone to become a
social activist, but a shift in attitude or the way one develops from a superficial reading
to critical reading can also be categorised as taking action (Van Sluys, 2005).
Critical Literacy and English as a Foreign Language
Despite a vast development of literature on critical literacy in English-speaking
backgrounds, the theory and its implication in EFL classrooms are limited (Ko & Wang,
2009) but gradually show development. According to Kim (2012), there are at least two
reasons why critical literacy is a neglected field of research in EFL settings, especially
in Asian countries. First, there is insufficient understanding on the need of critical
literacy in this region and second is a lack of knowledge and skills on its implementation
in non-Western contexts. Related to this, Kuo (2009) argues that the absence of critical
literacy in Asian countries may be related to some cultures that are typically marked by
compliance, as in Taiwan. Meanwhile, Falkenstein (2003) states that the lack of critical
literacy in EFL context might be due to foreign language educators who underestimate
the capability of these learners to take a critical attitude using a variety of texts to
nurture social justice.
Despite a limited inquiry on critical literacy in EFL settings, some studies in this area
indicate that EFL students, with appropriate support and adequate time, are capable of
implementing a critical stance using English language as a basis to develop social
justice and critical awareness.
In the Indonesian context, despite a call for a more critical approach in English
language teaching (Alwasilah, 2001), critical literacy has not been embedded in the
curriculum. Consequently, this study is expected to shed light on the feasibility of
designing and implementing critical literacy in Indonesia as well as to fill the gap in term
of its implementation in EFL and mainstream English classrooms.

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