Kumar 11, 12 and Brown 26

The readings are about how teachers can teach controversial issues in classroom and teachers need to teach importance social issues.  This chapter was very interesting because I can relate this chapter. When I was in Junior high school, there was high tension between Japanese and Korean students in ESL class. The reason is that Korea was ruled over by Japan for about hundred years. When I went to junior high, my Korean classmates and I didn't like the fact that I had to study with Japanese students. I thought my ESL teacher will solve the tension between Japanese and Korean students. However, she didn't  Instead, she made us interact with each other during the lesson and solve problems together. Later of that year, I realized that it wasn't the Japanese students’ fault of what happened in the past. History is just history. I learned this just by interacting and learn the language together. I asked my teacher that why she didn't try to mention controversial issues between Korean and Japanese students. She told me that if she talks more about controversial issues, the tension between Korean and Japanese students might get deeper that she doesn't want to risk it. Usually, many students realized that it is not Japanese students’ fault of what happened in the past by interacting with others and realized that they are the same.  I believe it is essential roles to knowledge social issues and it can possibly change students’ lives. Many ESL teachers focused on teaching the language, the essential of social issue can easily missed. If I didn't learn to interact with Japanese students, I would still prejudge Japanese and still hate them. I think teachers need to knowledge students about social issues instead of rightness of problem. In my opinion, I believe it is easy to bring up the controversial issue and political issues. However, can we bring up the topic something still relates to students’ countries, something that two countries have problems with? How can we teach how to respect each other’s opinion when the students have strong belief in it?