Imagine a scenario with a pilot and a flight attendant. How do you picture them? Now read the following anecdote: Sandra, an airline pilot with years of experience, was preparing for her flight while chatting with Mike, a flight attendant who had just joined the crew. Some of the passengers were surprised to see Sandra confidently taking control…

This article contends that centring English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curricula on learners' specific needs is not merely advantageous but essential for fostering meaningful language acquisition. By synthesising theoretical frameworks, empirical research, and practical applications, it underscores the necessity of systematic needs analysis (NA)…

In an age of educational reform which incentivises increased digitisation and standardisation, teachers are expected to embrace the rise of 'new' tools and pedagogies with limited agency to inform, question or direct what 'newness' must be brought into their classrooms. Drawing on my research with English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educators in…

In recent years, the Indonesian government has put greater emphasis on promoting critical thinking in the education system, including the notion of critical thinking in national examinations, curriculum, and graduate outcomes for school education. Nevertheless, as in many testing-oriented countries, fostering critical thinking in the Indonesian…

This academic article, utilizing an analytical literature review, aimed to explore the multifaceted roles of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) practitioners. It was found that there were five key roles responsible by the practitioners: (1) teaching; (2) course designing and material providing; (3) researching; (4) collaborating; and (5)…

This policy analysis will explore the prevalence and purpose of compulsory practical English courses for students across all faculties in universities in Japan. Special attention will be given to English courses taught in two non-English major colleges within a large private Japanese university in Western Japan, which since their inception have…

The paper explores the impact of the growth in English medium instruction (EMI) on the field of ELT. Increasing studies report students' language-related challenges and linguistic preparedness to be major barriers to successful implementation of EMI. These challenges, which have accompanied an unfettered growth in EMI provision, impact on…

English medium instruction (EMI) is seen as a site for improving students' English language, yet the role of the EMI lecturer in achieving this is contested. Views on what constitutes appropriate training and professional development for EMI lecturers also differ regarding English language skills and EMI-specific methodology. Using Q methodology,…

Mercer (2018) makes a compelling argument for the urgent need to further research teacher psychology, focussing on language teachers. While there has been considerable research on language learner psychology and with considerable focus on individual differences (IDs), there have been comparatively few studies into language teacher psychology.…

This essay shows how I came to assume the role of an activist-scholar and educator through engaging in self-observation and self-reflection in the course of my day-to-day professional practice. The story of my professional growth comprises epiphanies that were transformational, enabling me and my students to transcend our traditional roles. This…

Research suggests that English learners (ELs) with learning disabilities (LD) may benefit from culturally responsive evidence-based instructional approaches. ELs with LD often present with learning challenges that influence language acquisition and literacy development. One way to address the distinctive proclivities of these students is to…

Immigration from Mexico and Central America to the United States has resulted in dramatic demographic changes in communities across the country since the early 1990s. Newcomers and longstanding residents make sense of and construct their shared society and the rules and norms by which they live alongside one another, and this construction of…

One Mandarin immersion programming model involves a pair of partner teachers switching cohorts of students. Many programs meet their staffing needs with international teachers that remain with the school district for 1-3 years. Due to transient staffing, many partner teachers find themselves as mentors to their immersion teachers and maintain the…

In this paper, we argue that current research on games in language education, predominantly framed as "digital game-based language learning" (DGBLL), is lacking details regarding the role of teachers, or more precisely, the verbalization of the pedagogical underpinnings, scaffolds, and techniques teachers use to successfully integrate…

Research has increasingly demonstrated that pronunciation difficulties in English can seriously affect learners' intelligibility and ability to comprehend spoken English. It is thus crucial that we find ways of helping learners of English become more intelligible. In this talk, I present compelling research evidence in support of a strategy-based…