Multicultural Literature for a PeaceBased Prose Class for English Teacher Education

Abstract

In this global world, language is not a mere means of communication, but is more a means to construct realities. English language classrooms are in fact potential as peace agency as the teachers are in a strategic position to influence infrastructure, to invest in their social capital and to construct moral imagination (Birch 2009, Anderson 1991). In response to today's need for a peaceful global world, English teachers must be aware and be proactive agents to promote a more dialogic atmosphere in their classrooms. This paper will discuss how a Prose class with peace-based perspective for English teacher education made use of four texts of multicultural literature (Amy Tan's "Two Kinds," Mary Whitebird's "Ta-Na-E-Ka," Remy Sylado's "Ca Bau Kan," and Richard Oh's Novel "The Pathfinders of Love") to be a meaningful set of materials to encourage students' self-awareness as a part of the diversed society and to promote dialogic relation among themselves. The overall discussion will be concluded with the implication of using multicultural literature in a peace based class for English Teacher Education