Engaging writing in the Arab EFL classroom

Abstract The PhotoVoice tool invites participants to create photographs that reflect aspects of their surroundings that they find problematic and to elaborate on them in writing. Participants then share their photographs and written accounts with an influential audience with the hope of resolving the highlighted concerns. Aiming to connect the classroom to the students’ community, the author, a teacher-educator, and her college students implemented PhotoVoice at Palestinian-Israeli schools, guiding small groups of elementary-level EFL pupils throughout the writing process. Children’s powerful presentations to the invited audience proved how creative and proficient EFL learners can be when provided with sufficient support to write and discuss social issues pertinent to their lives. Inspired by critical literacy pedagogy, this approach for improving literacy skills while promoting change challenges the teaching of EFL as a set of linguistic skills detached from reality. This tool can foster an engaging approach to language education that connects literacy teaching with social action.