Teaching is at a crossroads where traditional methods and rationale for pedagogical practices are rightfully under attack. However, the fight is currently transpiring in the professional ranks of current classroom teachers. Now is the time to make progressive inroads by restructuring teacher education. Reformulating teacher education will require…

Ofsted's (2021) Curriculum research review for languages (OCRR) draws conclusion on what 'high-quality language education' may look like. This opinion piece problematises the status of these conclusions as 'features' or recommendations. Before delving into a selection of identified 'features' in more depth, the author highlights the complexity of…

Cultural misrepresentation simplifies cultures and their minorities, promotes racism, nationalism and eventually weakens democracies by spreading false information through audio-visual media. Intercultural film literacy education combines intercultural education and film literacy and uses a film as a starting point to discuss the cultural context,…

This article discusses intercultural communicative competence (ICC) as a present-day theoretical and practical concern. Byram's (1997) model of ICC serves as a point of departure for the discussion since this is a theoretical construct which has had considerable impact on curriculum development and teaching materials in a number of countries over…

If ever there was an appropriate time to reassess models of instructional delivery for language learning, that time is now. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a public health crisis, countless grieving families, and to a social order and private lives turned upside down. Many have lost their livelihoods, as businesses and governments struggle to…

This paper examines the opportunities and challenges of using Shakespeare as a teaching resource for English language learners, and reflects on an open distance learning programme aimed at engaging EFL students across diverse world contexts. The paper reviews the design, production, and dissemination of these teaching materials and in doing so…

This article discusses the benefits of theatrical texts in language courses for beginners. These original, fun, and yet challenging materials help learners develop linguistic and intercultural competencies and transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and cooperation. Specifically, this article examines the use of Jean…

In L2 (second language) pedagogy, texts are commonly distinguished based on whether language instruction was a consideration in their creation. Texts that are not created for L2 instruction, or "authentic texts," have been thought to represent the target language in an accurate and reliable way (Zyzik and Polio 2017). Conversely, texts…

This article aims to better understand constraints (e.g., hostility toward spirituality) and opportunities that may affect teacher-student and student-student relations as spiritually informed ELT curriculum is negotiated. Viewed more broadly, spirituality aims to foster the ability to see one's own religious positioning in relation to other…

The education of intercultural competencies and the related skills are at the forefront of teaching at Debrecen University. The teaching materials are based on the work of esteemed authors like Hofstede, Hall, and Trompenaars. However, new cultural and social realities evolve, and educators of intercultural communication need to be responsive to…

The use of native English story in EFL, which has so far been a source for heated debate among the scholars due to the possible intercultural conflict experienced by the learners and can possibly lead to the learners' confusion during the class, is basically driven by the long gone communicative competence theory, the paradigm which views that…

The article theorizes the possibilities of a decolonizing methodology in a reading of David Bouchard's Cree-English dual language picture books "Nokum is My Teacher" and "The Drum Calls Softly." Paulo Freire's (1971) call to educators to become teacher-learners and Luis Urrieta Jr.'s (2007) concept of "figured worlds"…

Globally, neoliberal education policy touts youth entrepreneurship education as a solution for staggering youth unemployment, a means to bolster economically depressed regions, and solution to the ill-defined changing marketplace. Many jurisdictions have emphasized a need for K-12 entrepreneurial education for the general population, and targeted…

Pragmatic failure is the inability to understand what is meant by what is said, which can often lead to misunderstanding or confusion in cross-cultural communication. For this reason, the present article explores the contributing factors of pragmatic failure in China's ELT Classrooms. According to the exploration, the following factors are found…

Teaching world cultures in the middle-level geography classroom presents challenges both because of the complexity of culture and because of the characteristics of students of this age. One effective way to teach about a culture is through the use of cultural artifacts. This article discusses how to collect and use cultural artifacts in the…