While taking a global perspective and discussing controversial issues in the EFL classroom has been promoted by several authors (Brown, 2009; Jacobs & Cates, 1999; Maley, 2004; Sampedro & Hillyard, 2004; Ruas, 2017) and organisations (British Council, 2008; Council of Europe, 2014; Oxfam, 2015a; Oxford University Press, 2019; UNESCO, 2015), there are some dissenting voices in the profession as well (Scruton, 1985 as cited in Hicks, 2003; Perrin, 2010 as cited in Rebuck, 2012) and teachers also seem to have mixed feelings about dealing with such topics in class for fear of these issues having political overtones (Hauschild et al, 2012). Although global issues are usually controversial and dealing with them successfully needs a lot of preparation on the teachers’ part, the pedagogical affordances of discussing complex issues cannot be overlooked. Firstly, the current teaching paradigm, which favours post-communicative language teaching, task- and content-based teaching, lends itself to the incorporation of global education (Kruger, 2011). Starkey (2005) considers the language classroom as a place that can equip students with citizenship skills (see 2.1.3.2) and knowledge about democracy and posits that “in many respects, communicative methodology is in itself democratic” (p. 32). In a communicative English lesson, the students are required to work in pairs or groups and express their opinions on different topics through structured discussions or debates. While engaging in such activities, students can acquire useful social competences, such as cooperation and communication. Starkey (2005) also encourages language teachers to promote controversy in their classroom after creating the right atmosphere for these meaningful discussions, so that students encounter real-world issues and learn to appreciate different world views. In this way, learning English is not seen as an end but it “takes on real meaning and significance when it is part of learning for democracy” (p. 38).