Empowering Voices in the EFL Classroom: Confronting Gender‐Based Violence Through Critical Pedagogy

ABSTRACT This study examines Critical Pedagogy (CP) and Participatory Approaches (PA) to address gender‐based violence (GBV) in EFL speaking. Involving 30 pre‐service EFL teachers at a Turkish public university, it co‐designed a six‐week mini‐syllabus covering causes and consequences of GBV, educational disparities, media representations and advocacy. Activities included group discussion, critical media analysis and awareness materials. Pre‐ and post‐comparisons showed gains in fluency, vocabulary and analytical reasoning. Embedding GBV content strengthened language proficiency while fostering empathy, social consciousness and agency. The study demonstrates a participatory, context‐responsive curriculum integrating gender justice into EFL speaking. Given the small, single‐site sample and six‐week duration, findings are context‐specific and analytically transferable rather than broadly generalisable. It highlights English as a vehicle for social engagement, challenging dominant ideologies and advocating for gender equity inside and beyond the classroom.