Deep Reading as Resistance: Reading with ChatGPT and Battling SysEd through Reflexive Reading Pedagogy

This paper serves as a theoretical reflection with a practical proposal. There are two core goals for my discussion: (1) to reflect on deep reading for the purposes of education and why it matters in the current context of the study of English; and (2) to support a nuanced approach to promoting deep reading in English by introducing the argument that deep reading may be a form of resistance to two major challenges in English classrooms. These challenges are Semler's articulation of 'SysEd' and the emergence of AI in the form of large language models (LLMs). My reflections on reading are mediated by a conversation with ChatGPT about its reading practice and how English may distinguish the teaching of deep reading as a human skill. Finally, I draw on Margaret Archer's theory of reflexivity to present a practical approach to facilitating deep reading as a form of resistance.