Avoiding heteronormativity in the EFL classroom of the Balearic Islands: a didactic proposal for the second cycle of ESO

Abstract

[eng] Gender and sexuality are topics that are largely excluded in secondary education. In the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, this lack of inclusivity is also prevalent, which may lead to the reinforcement of heteronormativity. The present didactic proposal will strive to bring visibility to these topics in order to promote inclusivity both inside and outside of the classroom by developing and fostering understanding towards diversity. This will be done taking into account the context of the Balearic Islands and the current LOMLOE legislation. This proposal is targeted towards the second cycle of ESO, which comprises the courses of 3rd and 4th of ESO. In order to introduce inclusive materials into the classroom, students will be working with real-word contexts to both develop a project and acquire the target grammatical structures. Thus, Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Competency-Based Language Teaching (CBLT) will be applied. Moreover, in order to ensure that the activities follow an adequate and progressive level of difficulty, Bloom’s Taxonomy will be taken into account to provide scaffolded learning. Indeed, this didactic proposal will be divided into three different phases according to the nouns which form Bloom’s pyramid (Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate and Create). This will allow students to acquire the skills needed to proceed with the next phase, the final of which is a project that will require the creation of a product that has real-world value.