Comprehensive sexual education and English language teaching: an endeavour from southern Argentina

Abstract

Since the enforcement of Law 26,150 (Congreso de la Nación Argentina 2006) through which a national programme on comprehensive sexual education (CSE) was created, the Argentinian educational system must include perspectives, contents, and discursive practices around CSE across the curriculum in kindergarten, primary, secondary, and initial teacher education. English language teaching is not the exception. In this context, CSE is envisaged as a space for encounters among learners, adults, areas of knowledge, public policies, religious beliefs, and cultural traditions in a framework where human rights, gender diversity, respect, and the right to information from early education is central. In this account of classroom inquiry I describe how CSE has brought together educators and authorities to act accordingly to develop innovative teaching practices that respond to Law 26,150. I draw on notions of languagedriven content and language integrated learning (CLIL) to describe the practices and initiatives implemented in one Argentinian province to support teachers' professional development and classroom practices. Implications from this experience could trigger similar practices in contexts where teachers may wish to include topics around gender in foreign language teaching.

Exploring the Gender Perspective in English Language Teaching (ELT): Voices from ELT Practitioners in Philippine Higher Education Institutions

“…First, the ELT practitioners claimed that they were already incorporating gender in their lessons through gender-fair language, role-playing, text analysis, and debates, with the intent of combatting sexist stereotypes and deconstructing gender biases. These methods, as claimed by Banegas ( 2020 ) and Lomotey ( 2020 ), are important in building learners’ understanding of their own and other people’s gendering ways, and ultimately, are crucial for instilling gender equality and equity as basic human values. Showcasing such diverse gender identities and notions in classroom discussions can normalize performing gender identities beyond the binary (Butler, 1990 ; Sauntson, 2012 ).…”

“…Previous research on incorporating notions of gender and sexuality in language teaching have been mostly conducted in Argentina (Banegas, 2020 ), South Africa (Jimmyns & Meyer-Weitz, 2019 ), and Poland (Pakuła et al, 2015 ). Most of these studies focused on integrating a lived or person-based curriculum (Banegas & Velázquez, 2014 ; Norton & Pavlenko, 2004 ) that incorporates gender as part of a human’s identity and lived experiences.…”

“…Collectively, ELT educators first struggled in incorporating minute notions of gender-fair language (Lomotey, 2020 ) and issues in their classroom discussions, but they gradually appreciated the importance and benefits of integrating gender-equality values into their pedagogical practices (Banegas et al, 2019 ; Norton & Pavlenko, 2004 ). These studies have concluded that the integration of the gender perspective into ELT pedagogy leads to (1) creating a supportive and open space for LGBTQIA+ learners (Sauntson, 2012 ), (2) educators reflecting on and challenging their own gendered beliefs and experiences, and (3) teachers being more conscious of other people’s diverse gendering ways (Banegas, 2020 ; Banegas et al, 2019 ; Mojica & Castañeda-Peña, 2017 ).…”

“…Hearing the voices of Filipino ELT educators may assist educational departments in calibrating their implementation strategies to ensure that all relevant stakeholders have the safe space to gradually integrate the gender perspective into micro-aspects of the learning process. Language education plays a crucial role in shaping educators’ critical-thinking skills to craft student-centered and gender-responsive pedagogical practices (Banegas, 2020 ). Likewise, at the time of writing, no single study has examined the gender perspective in ELT in the Philippine context.…”

Health Risk behaviours Among Adolescents in Argentina: Trends Between 2007, 2012 and 2018 National Cross-Sectional School Surveys

“…Regarding sexual behaviour, among boys, sexual risk behaviour (multiple sexual partners and non-condom use) decreased over time, and girls ever sexual intercourse increased over time. The since 2006 a national programme on comprehensive sexual education curriculum has been integrated across school levels [32], which may have contributed to low sexual risk behaviour.…”