Page 339 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 339
critical media literacy: a new tool and pedagogy for tackling esl
members of society through different communication tools such as differ-
ent media or a simple conversation. Moreover, it is important that educa-
tors encourage students to extend this kind of reasoning to all the messag-
es they are receiving through any kind of communication (Thoman & Jolls,
2004).
This article tries to explain why critical media literacy is suitable as a
tool for developing critical thinking skills and thus preventing ESL. In the
first part, we define media literacy and critical media literacy and explain
why it is supposed to be successful in developing critical thinking skills. In
the second part, it is explained how critical media literacy can be regard-
ed as a preventive strategy against ESL. The last part of the article presents
concrete strategies for teaching students critical media thinking and criti-
cal media analyses in order to prevent ESL. Moreover, in italics specific ex-
amples are presented of movie analysis and developing of critical thinking
with the help of the five core questions of critical media literacy.
Methodology
Literature used for this article was found through scientific literature
search engines such as ERIC, Emerald, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and
ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global. The key words used were: media
literacy; critical media literacy; critical pedagogy; critical thinking; drop-
out; marginalised groups; academic achievement. For the purposes of this
article, scientific papers, online scientific books and some handbooks on
the topic of critical pedagogy and critical media literacy were used.
Media literacy: concepts and definitions
Traditionally, media literacy was defined as the ability to analyse and ap-
preciate literary works and to communicate effectively via good writing
(Brown, 1998). With the development of media in the 1970s, it was extended
to reading the text of film, television and other visual media. Since the term
“media” nowadays may refer to art, billboards, computers, film, moving
images, multimedia, music, oral and written language, television and so-
cial media, the concept and scope of media literacy has also become wider
and more versatile (Gardiner, 1997; Meyrowitz, 1998). Buckingham (2003)
therefore argues that media literacy is the knowledge, skills and competen-
cies required to use and interpret media. UNESCO’s definition is, howev-
er, more complex and defines media literacy as a process of the assimilation
339
members of society through different communication tools such as differ-
ent media or a simple conversation. Moreover, it is important that educa-
tors encourage students to extend this kind of reasoning to all the messag-
es they are receiving through any kind of communication (Thoman & Jolls,
2004).
This article tries to explain why critical media literacy is suitable as a
tool for developing critical thinking skills and thus preventing ESL. In the
first part, we define media literacy and critical media literacy and explain
why it is supposed to be successful in developing critical thinking skills. In
the second part, it is explained how critical media literacy can be regard-
ed as a preventive strategy against ESL. The last part of the article presents
concrete strategies for teaching students critical media thinking and criti-
cal media analyses in order to prevent ESL. Moreover, in italics specific ex-
amples are presented of movie analysis and developing of critical thinking
with the help of the five core questions of critical media literacy.
Methodology
Literature used for this article was found through scientific literature
search engines such as ERIC, Emerald, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and
ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global. The key words used were: media
literacy; critical media literacy; critical pedagogy; critical thinking; drop-
out; marginalised groups; academic achievement. For the purposes of this
article, scientific papers, online scientific books and some handbooks on
the topic of critical pedagogy and critical media literacy were used.
Media literacy: concepts and definitions
Traditionally, media literacy was defined as the ability to analyse and ap-
preciate literary works and to communicate effectively via good writing
(Brown, 1998). With the development of media in the 1970s, it was extended
to reading the text of film, television and other visual media. Since the term
“media” nowadays may refer to art, billboards, computers, film, moving
images, multimedia, music, oral and written language, television and so-
cial media, the concept and scope of media literacy has also become wider
and more versatile (Gardiner, 1997; Meyrowitz, 1998). Buckingham (2003)
therefore argues that media literacy is the knowledge, skills and competen-
cies required to use and interpret media. UNESCO’s definition is, howev-
er, more complex and defines media literacy as a process of the assimilation
339
