Science Fiction and Political Imagination: ELLs Co-constructing Critical Social Justice Narratives in the ELT Classroom

Abstract

Engaging with social, political, and cultural topics can pose challenges in English language teaching classrooms. These sites represent linguistically diverse settings housing distinct ideologies. This article documents classroom interactions that began with exposure to a science fiction film and progressed to a discussion of contemporary sociopolitical concerns that resonated with ELLs. Drawing on this case study, the article explores how an instructor and her ELL students addressed sociopolitical topics in a science fiction–themed classroom. The author analyzes student–teacher and student–student interactions in the classroom and the instructor’s subsequent self-reflection. Findings suggest that, when adopting intellectually stimulating materials that foster ELLs’ agency in learning, teachers need scaffolding to meaningfully incorporate such tools into a critical pedagogical approach.