Integrating social justice-oriented content into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instruction: A case study.

This study examines the integration of social justice-oriented content into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instruction at a four-year university on the East coast of the United States. In the context of an Academic Writing course taught to emergent bilingual (EB) students, this article identifies the challenges and prospects of utilizing material that addresses past and present racial inequities in the United States— particularly when it comes to equipping EBs with essential background knowledge to engage in meaningful dialogues and critical writing about social issues that are entrenched in white supremacist and settler colonialist histories. It makes suggestions for TESOL educators who seek to adopt more equitable and inclusive teaching practices by leaning into rather than away from challenging classroom conversations with EB students and embracing the intersecting challenges and opportunities for new learning that may arise. • Social justice-oriented materials teach both language and content in EAP settings. • Language learners are emergent bilinguals (EB); revised terminology is explained. • EB students identified connections between present and past injustices. • EB students adopted activist stances in class and participated in community events. • Social justice-oriented curricula can serve efforts to decolonize TESOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]