Disputing dominant narratives: critical service learning pedagogy for social change in teaching about language and culture

Critical service learning (CSL) offers undergraduate students opportunities to engage with course content by bridging real-world experiences and fostering deeper understanding of themselves, others, and broader social systems. While prior research has highlighted the general benefits of CSL, limited attention has been given to how students make meaning of specific critical topics. This qualitative study explored how undergraduates in a CSL course centered on literacy development engaged with issues of multilingualism, multiculturalism, and dominant language ideologies in the U.S. Grounded in Mitchell s (2008) framework of Critical Service Learning with a focus on developing an orientation toward social change, and Mezirow s Critical Reflection (1990), this study investigated the meaning-making process students undergo through written reflections, van dialogues, service interactions, interviews, and other qualitative data sources. Findings indicate that students deepened their cultural awareness and critical consciousness by connecting course content to real-life experiences and problematizing dominant narratives about English language dominance and cultural marginalization. The study further revealed that students entered the course with varying levels of awareness and knowledge, highlighting the importance of multiple entry points and iterative engagement for engaged learning. This research contributes to CSL scholarship by illuminating how undergraduates develop more inclusive and socially conscious perspectives through critical, reflective engagement with language and identity.