A Critical Discourse Approach to Teaching English in Islamic Religious Institutes

Abstract

The aim of this article is to offer a framework for conducting classroom discourse analysis.  This paper starts by explaining Saidian Post colonialism, Foucauldian post structuralism along with famous educator Paulo Freire's educational philosophy in order to develop a critical framework for understanding what actually is needed in the ESL class room in the religious institutions of Pakistan (madaras) to create a real learning environment and creating an understanding of what actually transpires in the English classrooms especially in Pakistani context. It also explains the inadequate prospects of recent models of classroom interaction analysis and classroom discourse.  Taking a lead from these discourse traditions, this study endeavors to create a conceptual framework for Critical evaluation for discourse practices in class and present basic principles and procedures that might make CDA possible. The participants of this study are students and teachers from the madaras. This study also shows that when learners feelings, their reasoning, experiences and beliefs are not consider significant by the teacher the class room will be decontextualized.  Suggestions for further exploration that CCDA might expose, are given in the last part of this paper