Chapter 9: A Literature, Design and Arts-Based English as a Second Language (ESL) Classroom Model

Over the last decade, by emphasizing the teaching of culture, the college-level English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom has increasingly become a valuable resource for peacebuilding. However, the teaching of culture is a widely contested concept, one which requires further discussion in another study. Alongside debates about the teaching of culture, conversations about storytelling as a peacebuilding device have also gained considerable momentum. Combining the two concepts in the college-level ESL classroom helps establish the foundation for a new kind of peacebuilding model, necessary for self-composition in an age of increasing globalization. Storytelling can cultivate a language learning environment in which students build confidence to become intercultural communicators and therefore, eventual peacebuilders.