This article describes a critical literacy research project undertaken with English Additional Language students at a South African township school. Students were invited to take on the position of researchers in gathering and analysing bumper stickers found in commuter minibuses known as itekisi (taxi). These everyday texts in English and African languages are salient for the students’ discourse communities. Bringing them into English lessons validates the use of languages and discourses that multilingual students inhabit and draws on their ability to move fluidly between languages. Framed by critical discourse analysis theory, this project aimed to facilitate students’ abilities to develop and use critical literacy knowledge and skills in analysing taxi bumper stickers. The findings indicate that the students were able to demonstrate some criticality as they investigated multiple interpretations of the texts by community members and themselves. Inviting students to investigate texts drawn from their own communities was envisaged as enabling their development as critical readers with a social justice orientation to texts. However, their relentless negativity towards taxi drivers made it difficult for them to keep their focus on the texts, suggesting that teachers’ selection of salient texts for lessons with a focus on critical literacy may not always achieve the intended outcomes.

中文翻译：

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乘坐出租车达到批判性素养：高中生作为共同研究人员和文本分析师

本文描述了一个在南非乡镇学校与英语附加语言学生一起进行的关键识字研究项目。学生们被邀请担任研究人员的职位，收集和分析通勤小巴中发现的被称为 itekisi（出租车）的保险杠贴纸。这些英语和非洲语言的日常文本对于学生的话语社区来说非常重要。将他们带入英语课程可以验证多语种学生所习惯的语言和话语的使用，并利用他们在语言之间流畅移动的能力。该项目以批判性话语分析理论为框架，旨在促进学生发展和运用批判性识字知识和技能来分析出租车保险杠贴纸的能力。研究结果表明，学生们在调查社区成员和他们自己对文本的多种解释时能够表现出一些批判性。邀请学生调查来自他们自己社区的文本被设想为使他们能够发展为对文本具有社会正义导向的批判性读者。然而，他们对出租车司机无情的消极态度使他们难以将注意力集中在课文上，这表明教师为注重批判性素养的课程选择突出课文可能并不总是能达到预期的结果。邀请学生调查来自他们自己社区的文本被设想为使他们能够发展为对文本具有社会正义导向的批判性读者。然而，他们对出租车司机无情的消极态度使他们难以将注意力集中在课文上，这表明教师为注重批判性素养的课程选择突出课文可能并不总是能达到预期的结果。邀请学生调查来自他们自己社区的文本被设想为使他们能够发展为对文本具有社会正义导向的批判性读者。然而，他们对出租车司机无情的消极态度使他们难以将注意力集中在课文上，这表明教师为注重批判性素养的课程选择突出课文可能并不总是能达到预期的结果。