Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Practicum in language teacher education is a fundamental component of teachers’ preparation because in this practice, results associated with pedagogical competencies are normally expected. However, these competences are also the result of other processes that influence and include the teacher in a context in which challenges emerge. This study analysed from what dimensions the experience of these practices helps to develop the effectiveness of teachers in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes within a framework of formative and reflective research. For this descriptive qualitative research, from a case study of three pre-service teachers and their tutor during two-and-a-half years, semi-open interviews, their research tutor’s mentoring document, and artifacts created in the in the practicum span were used.  The results show that the pedagogical practices offered opportunities taking into account the dimensions of context, quality of experience, personal construction and knowledge acquired at their program to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes with a view to give meaning and sense to theory and practice within a learning environment as long as it is framed in support and reflective guidance in mentoring.

Ecolinguistics has developed over the past five decades in response to ecological crises and the growing demand for an ecological perspective within linguistics (Zhou, 2021). This study examines the integration of environmental content in 'English for Today Classes Nine-Ten', a secondary-level textbook used in Bangladesh, a country facing a range of environmental challenges. Employing both qualitative and quantitative methods, including the use of AntConc and semantic prosody analysis, the study assessed the frequency, context, and presentation of ecological themes such as sustainability, conservation, and environmental awareness. The findings revealed that ecological terms are included in the textbook inconsistently and with limited diversity, which may hinder students' development of environmental awareness. The research aimed to influence curriculum development and educational policies, underlining the need to incorporate varied and recent environmental issues into educational materials. Therefore, this study emphasizes the need for a more comprehensive inclusion of ecological elements to promote ecolinguistic awareness among students. It contributes to ecolinguistics by recommending improvements in environmental representation in English curricula. Additionally, it offers valuable insights for educators and policymakers to enhance students' environmental literacy and promote sustainable development.

Este artículo presenta una revisión descriptiva de la literatura con el propósito de elucidar cómo el significado y la construcción de significado han sido conceptualizados dentro de la lingüística aplicada en Colombia durante las dos últimas décadas. Los estudios se agrupan en seis temas clave: estudios centrados en pedagogías, biliteracidad y multiliteracidad, interacción en el aula , translanguaging y multimodalidad. A partir de la categorización y el análisis de diferentes trabajos, el documento resume los estudios en este campo, proporcionando un punto de referencia para educadores y lingüistas aplicados interesados en investigar la creación de significado o la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL). Además, el artículo subraya la necesidad de un cambio de paradigma desde los enfoques lingüísticos tradicionales hacia concepciones más contemporáneas y multimodales de la comunicación. En esta línea, aboga por la integración de la multimodalidad en la investigación y en la pedagogía de las lenguas extranjeras, haciendo hincapié en la creación de redes de significado a través de interacciones multimodales influidas por factores culturales y de identidad.

Within the domain of applied linguistics, the intertwined challenges of housing insecurity and digital inaccessibility profoundly impact teaching and learning outcomes. This article elucidates the complex intersectionality of these real-world issues and their implications for language educators and learners. Despite the burgeoning recognition of technology’s role in modern pedagogy, a significant portion of students, especially those grappling with housing instability, confront the reality of digital inaccessibility. This duality not only impedes academic engagement and achievement but also accentuates psychosocial stressors. Drawing from comprehensive literature, the paper articulates the profound implications housing instability has on students’ well-being and academic trajectories, particularly in the digital age. It further elaborates on the underrepresented nuances of housing insecurity for both teachers and students within the specific realm of language teaching and learning. This manuscript introduces the triadic relationship among housing insecurity, digital accessibility, and language teaching and learning, culminating in a conceptual lens. This relationship evinces how housing insecurity often limits digital access, creating, in turn, barriers to effective language learning and teaching. Emphasizing an integrative approach, the paper concludes with pragmatic considerations for policy reformation, targeted research, and adaptive pedagogical practices, aiming to foster a more equitable, resilient, and inclusive language education ecosystem.

This research analyzes the sociocultural experiences of 6 speakers of the Uitoto and Korebajʉ communities who were forcibly displaced from their ancestral territories (Caquetá and Amazonas) to Florencia-Caquetá. The main objective is to understand how these experiences have affected their linguistic affiliation, cultural identity, and the preservation of their language. This study was qualitative and its methodology was based on grounded theory. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field diaries. The analysis focused on the sociocultural experiences, linguistic vitality, and the teaching-learning processes of the Uitoto languages (N+pode and M+n+ka dialects) and the Korebajʉ language. Coding was carried out in open, axial, and selective phases using ATLAS.ti software. The interviewees have had to face situations of racism, loss of connection with the territory, and lack of material for learning the language; however, they are still interested in preserving their culture and language. It is concluded that forced displacement affects linguistic affiliation and cultural identity and negatively influences the transmission and preservation of indigenous languages, making it urgent to propose didactic strategies to revitalize Amazonian languages.

Bilingualism has become a major theme in language policies over the last decades, reflecting language ideologies and guidelines for practice. Yet, stakeholders have responded to these policies in diverse ways. This multi-case study explores the language and education ideologies of language policies and Colombian policy stakeholders. Specifically, it examines how stakeholders exercise their agency in the formulation and application of the policies was also explored. The data analyzed includes interviews with stakeholders (see Appendix 1)—such as policy makers, scholars, test designers, administrators of second-language teacher preparation programs and language centers, and teachers from various cities of West-Center Colombia and recent national policy documents. The study shows an emerging shift in stakeholder’s ideologies, discourses, and practices towards alternative, heteroglossic bilingual oriented views. Additionally, the study evidences the active and relevant role of stakeholders in the enactment and appropriation of policies and points to the influence stakeholders have exerted on written policies and official discourses. These findings suggest the need for more participatory and context-sensitive policies focusing on learner’s necessities, expand language curricula, and foster heteroglossic teaching and assessment practices.

Broadly speaking, personality refers to the combination of traits that make people appear different and accordingly behave differently (Fazeli, 2012; Yusoff, Rahim, & Esa, 2010; Wakamoto, 2000; Ehrman & Oxford, 1990). Based on this psychological endowment, individuals shall either be introverts or extroverts while behaving during oral discourses (Sharma, 2008). This study investigates the impact of personality on English language oral performance (ELOP), focusing on accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary. A purposive sample of 35 tertiary-level students was selected. Two personality measuring scales, i.e. Eysenic Personality Inventory (EPI) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), were used to determine the specific traits of the participants. On the basis of the score obtained, the participants were classified as introverts and extroverts. Classroom observations, guided by observational protocols, were conducted in gleaning data. To minimize researcher bias, observations were conducted collaboratively with co-researchers and their observation and further followed by validation through concerned class teachers. Thematic analysis of the collected data revealed that extraversion significantly influences ELOP.

  This article presents a review from a social and critical perspective of applied linguistics (AL) within English language teaching (ELT) and how it relates to the notion of education for peace in Colombia. The review involved a content analysis of 27 master's theses authored by English language teacher-researchers. The study was situated within the MA program in AL at a public university and focused on examining the interplay between the critical dimension of AL and education for peace in the schools where these teacher-researchers taught. For the authors of these theses, the classroom served as a social and political stage where they conducted their pedagogical and research initiatives reported in their theses. The selection of the 27 theses was based on the critical notion of peace as an issue relevant to the social and critical dimension of AL. The research question used for the review is: How do master's theses within the framework of critical AL written by English language teacher-researchers relate to education for peace? The review yielded valuable insights in the form of an emerging theme about the relevance of critical applied linguistics in local settings. It also demonstrated the key role language plays in education for peace in promoting conflict resolution and encouraging social awareness in local spaces.

Language assessment literacy (LAL) has emerged as a relatively recent focus in language testing, especially when it comes to fostering this dimension among stakeholders. There are few reports on online assessment courses for English language teachers that discuss their usefulness regarding teachers’ LAL. However, there is a growing call to advance LAL pedagogies and to investigate how assessment courses contribute to teachers’ professional development. In this study, we employed a qualitative research design to ask six Colombian English language teachers to evaluate the contents and activities of an online assessment course specifically designed for them. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Our findings indicate that teachers engaged in critical reflection on the course contents, activities, and —considering both what was effective and what was not—by referencing their own assessment practices. Moreover, the findings suggest that course activities, especially quizzes, were instructionally sound, as they promoted a formative assessment approach that, in turn, contributed to development of the teachers’ LAL.

This paper describes an ethnographic approach to developing a formal language policy incorporating English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching in a Colombian public higher education institution. This study aimed to document the process undertaken for developing an institutional language policy that goes beyond solely teaching English and focuses more broadly on the recognition and promotion of plurilingualism and inclusion. Data was gathered from an ethnography of language policy approach including participant observations, qualitative analysis of existing institutional language documentation, surveys, and focus groups. Results suggest that adopting an ethnographical approach to language policy development provides a more inclusive way of considering the plurilingual realities of the region and not just the necessities of EFL teaching. By focusing on a single institution’s challenges, the paper sheds light on some considerations that other institutions can learn from, especially when recognizing the complex sociolinguistic context that is public higher education in Colombia.