From Control to Collaboration: Democratic Facilitation in the Modern English Classroom

This paper argues that English language teaching must move from control to collaboration through democratic facilitation. Drawing on the French Revolution as a metaphor, it suggests that just as political democracy emerged after the collapse of absolute monarchy, educational democracy requires moving beyond the 'sage on the stage' model and rejecting the dominance of teacher-centred instruction. Traditional classrooms often restrict questioning, participation and critical thought, positioning students as passive recipients of fixed knowledge. In contrast, democratic facilitation empowers learners to ask, debate, collaborate and contribute to knowledge construction. The teacher becomes a guide, mediator and facilitator rather than an authoritarian source of truth. This approach promotes learner autonomy, shared responsibility and meaningful interaction while creating a more humane and inclusive classroom. Ultimately, the paper concludes that democratic facilitation transforms English teaching into a participatory, reflective and collaborative process.

کلیدواژه ها:

democratic facilitation ، English teaching ، learner autonomy ، collaboration ، teacher role ، modern classroom