The Foreign Language Classroom as a Space for the development of Visual Literacy and Critical Thinking

Abstract

Images are part of our daily lives, whether in a professional, personal, or educational context. In the classroom, particularly in the foreign language classroom, their uses are virtually endless and can facilitate the development of visual literacy as well as critical thinking. To this end, teachers must place the image at the centre of their classes and not just use it as a merely decorative element. This article aims to understand how foreign language classes could help in the development of visual literacy and critical thinking. To this end, an actionresearch project was carried out during the teaching practice of a Master’s degree in teaching English and Spanish in the third cycle and secondary education, in which the image was central and provided moments of reflection and criticism by the students during lessons in a secondary school near Lisbon, Portugal. Data was gathered from learners’ classwork, and this was analysed using a series of descriptors related to visual literacy and critical thinking. This study shows that most students are visually literate and able to think critically about some topics, even though it is clear there is space for improvement. It is imperative to dedicate time to the analysis and interpretation of a variety of images (film posters, memes, photographs, pictures, and cartoons, among others) and to debate the various ideas and interpretations that may arise from them, bearing in mind learner motivation.