Theme: Reenvisioning the praxis of language education through critical, humanistic and decolonial lens

This year's Symposium's main theme is re-envisioning the praxis of  language education from critical, humanistic, and decolonial lens. It acknowledges reflection, discussion, and action upon the colonial structures that have privileged the English language and its speakers while silencing and marginalizing other languages and communities. The theme also fosters moving away from paradigms that reproduce colonial ideologies and social inequities embedded in language education practices. Building on this perspective, this years' Symposium seeks to gather proposals characterized by having critical lenses to look at social transformation for the benefit of individuals and communities.  

Accordingly, re-envisioning language education entails recognizing and disrupting the colonial geopolitics of knowledge, which often privileges certain knowledge systems over others. In this regard, it becomes essential to amplify the voices and contributions from the Global South, where educators are leading decolonial efforts and developing innovative, transformative ELT practices. Acknowledging that the field of ELT has been shaped by monolingual ideologies and colonial legacies, the praxis of critical, decolonial, and humanistic perspectives invites us to move beyond static conceptions of language education. It calls for embracing the dynamic and sometimes unstable identities of educational actors as a way to promote meaningful social change.

In addition, examining language pedagogy, curriculum design, and policy development as part of educational praxis requires questioning Western-centric models of language proficiency. It also calls for embracing plurilingual approaches that aknowledge diverse forms of the English language as well as other languages, cultures, and subcultures and their actors. Thus, by emphasizing the need for educators to go beyond English instruction  alone, this year's Symposium envisions the adoption of perspectives that challenge traditional conventions. It also envisions the creation of inclusive and diverse environments where researchers, teachers, and students value and safeguard marginalized cultural practices, groups, and individuals.

With the above in mind, we encourage proponents to share and discuss their efforts that take the shape of reports or workshops with contents and activities for challenging dominant practices and uncovering social inequalities associated to Anglo-Eurocentric views of language teaching, learning, and research. All in all, this year's Symposium intends to ensure that marginalized communities be represented with dignity, sensitivity, and hope, and that English language educators be engaged in emancipatory spaces where resistance itself becomes an anti colonial praxis.

Important Dates:

Deadline for submissions:              September 30th, 2025

Communication of acceptance:      October 8th, 2025

Date of the event:                           November 6th and 7th, 2025

Registration link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSek5IM_pATqSljZAuFDrK-u1untdwF6wmdMyCOBcXQOoohZEg/viewform…