Darío Luis Banegas - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Book Reviews by Darío Luis Banegas
System, Apr 2018
Native and non-native teachers in English language classrooms: Professional challenges and teache... more Native and non-native teachers in English language classrooms: Professional challenges and teacher education, Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo (Ed.). De Gruyter Mouton, Boston/Berlin (2017). 349 pp. As a non-native teacher educator of English language teaching based in Argentina, I am interested in teachers' English language proficiency and how teacher education programmes can show concerted efforts that address the relationship between language proficiency and teaching efficacy. When I spend time with teachers engaged in professional development opportunities in Argentina and other Latin American countries, there is this feeling floating in the air that we non-native teachers cannot be confident with our professionalism until we sound and teach like a native teacher as if a native L2 teacher were the Southern Cross of our profession. It is 2018 and I can still see job ads where being a native speaker of English, whatever that means, proves essential. From such motivation and experience, I felt drawn to this volume edited by Martínez Agudo as the title suggested to me, prior to reading the book, a comparison of teaching practices and professional development according to the native/non-native identity dichotomy, where the second element is defined and assessed for what is not in relation to the first as in a norm-referenced test. After reading the volume, I realised that the main focus is not so much on comparing native and non-native L2 teachers but on understanding how both can contribute to language learning and teaching processes according to their personal and professional trajectories not necessarily determined by their L1. The volume is divided into four major sections (labelled as Parts I to IV) preceded by a foreword and introduction and concluded with a " critical afterword. " The foreword has been written by Péter Medgyes, probably one of the main experts in the issue of (non)native speaker teacher (see Medgyes, 1994) and whose work is extensively cited throughout the volume. What is interesting about this foreword is that he firmly encourages readers to engage with language teachers at conferences so that researchers who are prolific writers in the field not only talk among experts but also with those they research or wish to empower through their publications. In times where writing for publication is devouring academics' time and energy, Medgyes's recommendation comes as a balm for the soul for teacher educators who mainly work with pre-as well as in-service teachers. In the Introduction, editor Martínez Agudo takes a political stance
Papers by Darío Luis Banegas
The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teacher Education
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching
There has been much research on the connections between second language (L2) writing and learner ... more There has been much research on the connections between second language (L2) writing and learner motivation. However, few studies have focused on contexts in which L2 learning is mandatory, rather than elective. This technical action research-based study evaluated a project in which teenage learners in Argentina were engaged in creative writing tasks, with the goal of including their final written pieces in a formal publication. Through focus group interviews and group discussions, it was found that the project had increased the motivation not only of the learners, but also of the teachers. Further, the study highlights the importance of making such writing tasks student-centered, and calls attention to the role played by the teachers in motivating and engaging students. The study suggests that effort should be made to develop more initiatives in formal education settings in order to motivate and engage learners involved in mandatory language study.
Issues in Coursebook Evaluation
of implementing, adopting, and, probably or expectedly, adapting coursebooks. In other words, tea... more of implementing, adopting, and, probably or expectedly, adapting coursebooks. In other words, teachers bring coursebooks to life and not necessarily in ways naively expected by their authors. Teachers are critical and active agents and not robots following a teacher’s guide (Kiai, 2013). They need to evaluate coursebooks according to their context, learners’ needs, institutional needs, and the approach which they seek to explore. In this chapter, I focus on evaluating language and content in coursebooks following CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), where the language is English as a foreign language (EFL). I first provide reasons why teachers should evaluate coursebooks whatever their approach. Secondly, I offer a brief outline of CLIL and how it may be found in coursebooks. Thirdly, I suggest ways in which teachers can decide if a coursebook is worth adopting under a CLIL framework.
Becoming and Being a TESOL Teacher Educator
International Journal of Applied Linguistics
Cambridge Journal of Education
Framed in action research, the authors investigated the perceptions and experiences of a cohort o... more Framed in action research, the authors investigated the perceptions and experiences of a cohort of student-teachers as they learned about and explored for the first time teacher research in a selfcontained module as part of a four-year pre-service or initial English language teacher education (IELTE) programme in southern Argentina. The module, 'Research in English Language Teaching', ran from March-November 2018. It was led by a teacher educator based in Argentina and a UK-based colleague who acted as an external academic advisor. Drawing on qualitative research, data collection strategies included: the tutor's journal; student-teachers' journals; assignments; research proposals; report drafts; presentations; group discussions; interactions between the tutors; and endof-course interviews. The findings show that the module had a positive effect on student-teachers' identity, their English language proficiency, and the role of reflection in feedback processes. The student-teachers appreciated teacher research as reflective practice and as a source of professional development.
Profile: Issues in Teachers´ Professional Development
Social issues are believed to enrich English language teaching with meaningful topics. In this ar... more Social issues are believed to enrich English language teaching with meaningful topics. In this article we describe and reflect on an innovative practice which combined content and language integrated learning with comprehensive sexual education at a state secondary school in Argentina. By law, comprehensive sexual education must be included across the Argentinian curriculum and English language learning cannot be the exception. Therefore, we designed and implemented a collaborative-driven innovation that allowed learners to learn English and comprehensive sexual education with a focus on authentic materials, purposes, and tasks. The innovation was developed over a month and it involved learners delivering presentations on comprehensive sexual education topics. Reflections on the effect of the innovation and possible future directions are included.
RELC Journal
Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a dual-focussed approach that promotes the lea... more Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a dual-focussed approach that promotes the learning of curricular content in tandem with an additional language, usually English. Since its inception in the 1990s in Europe, CLIL provision has increased considerably not only in Europe but also in other contexts, such as Latin America, given its purported benefits in terms of motivation, cognitive skills development, and language awareness. However, little is known about how future teachers, i.e. pre-service teachers, are trained to teach through CLIL. This article aims to address this gap by describing how we – two CLIL teacher educators based in Argentina and Spain – offer CLIL courses. Through duoethnography, we show how we plan and implement CLIL input and what lessons we have learnt drawing on reflective practice in interaction. Analysis of our interaction illustrates how CLIL is conceived and operationalized and what CLIL competences are prioritized in our practices. Pedagogica...
International Perspectives on Teaching English in Difficult Circumstances, 2018
Banegas, D. L. (2018). "I want to make the invisible visible": Teacher motivation in Argentinian ... more Banegas, D. L. (2018). "I want to make the invisible visible": Teacher motivation in Argentinian prison education. In K. Kuchah & F. Shamim (Eds.), International perspectives on teaching English in difficult circumstances: Contexts, challenges and possibilities (Chapter 8). Basingstoke: Palgrave. 1 8 'I want to make the invisible visible': Teacher motivation in Argentinian prison education DARÍO LUIS BANEGAS Why a chapter on prison education? Prison education is underrepresented in education forums. Prisons are envisaged as settings with difficult circumstances for both teachers and learners. Bhatti (2010) argues that both teachers and learners feel peripheral to the dynamics of social participation. Studies originated in different settings stress inmates' exclusion from society and formal education before incarceration (Brine 2001; García et al. 2007; Hughes 2012; Wilson and Reuss 2000). In some cases, adult and young prisoners' trajectories are summarised through the school-to-prison pipeline concept (Raible and Irizarry 2010; Winn and Behizadeh 2011). According to Harbour and Ebie (2011), marginalisation is one form of oppression. In Freiran terms, pedagogy needs to challenge oppression and promote social justice. Freire (1969, 1970, 1992) conceived education as a way to integrate people in the construction of a participatory and democratic nation. Integration, in Freire's view, entails reflection, action, and the development of a critical stance. Education becomes a resource not only to help the oppressed to learn and wmaerite, but to encourage them to find their own voice, their liberation. This is achieved through praxis, that is, through seeking and enacting liberation (Freire, 1970). In such a scenario, Freire (1992) argued that one of the educator's tasks is to discover with their learners the possibilities for hope. As a teacher of English as a foreign language in Argentina I decided to explore English language teaching (ELT) through a focus on teacher motivation in 'difficult circumstances' with the aim of representing those colleagues working in less THIS IS NOT THE PUBLISHED VERSION Banegas, D. L. (2018). "I want to make the invisible visible": Teacher motivation in Argentinian prison education. In K. Kuchah & F. Shamim (Eds.), International perspectives on teaching English in difficult circumstances: Contexts, challenges and possibilities (Chapter 8). Basingstoke: Palgrave. 2 mainstream contexts. I approach the intersection between teacher motivation and prison education from a person-in-context, relational view of motivation (Ushioda 2009). This relational view of teacher motivation entails that we understand the benefits of prison education as these will impact on teachers' motivation. Education in contexts of confinement Prison education is not an easy enterprise. Schools in contexts of confinement in different countries operate within a larger institution, the prison, with dissimilar aims. While schools aim at empowerment, prisons aim at control. Diseth et al. (2008) assert that prison education aims at preparing inmates for life after prison and therefore attempts to reduce recidivism. Within this perspective, Wilson and Reuss (2000) illustrate how education can change offending behaviour through the deployment of empowering pedagogies. Reports indicate that education through formal schooling and language skills development and training has the power to influence academic achievement, employment opportunities, and social involvement (Brazier, Hurry and Wilson 2010; Faltis 2014; Hartnett, Novek and Wood 2013). Behind these aims, teachers mediate between the prison and the outside world. In contrast, García et al. (2007) describe prisons as social containers, and some prisons, as reported from Argentina (Manchado 2012), obstruct the educational process. For example, they do not offer adequate classrooms, spaces which are independent from the prison building, or teaching and learning materials (but see Batchelder and Rachal 2000). In addition, prison life interferes with delivery of lessons or learners' attendance. Such conflicting aims and constraints raise tension. Blazich (2007) states that prisons are based on control and homogenisation, and conditions of security in contrast with school aims. According to Spaulding (2011), prison educators in the US live the tension between prison administrators' controlling aims and educators' desire to teach. The author adds that teachers sustain their motivation because they feel they matter and make a difference in the lives of their learners. Conversely, THIS IS NOT THE PUBLISHED VERSION Banegas, D. L. (2018). "I want to make the invisible visible": Teacher motivation in Argentinian prison education. In K. Kuchah & F. Shamim (Eds.), International perspectives on teaching English in difficult circumstances: Contexts, challenges and possibilities (Chapter 8). Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching
Bilingual education, usually a community’s L1 and English continues spreading geographically and ... more Bilingual education, usually a community’s L1 and English continues spreading geographically and across educational systems worldwide. With this expansion, the development of bilingual education approaches is under constant scrutiny. One recent approach is content and language integrated learning (CLIL). European in origin, CLIL can be viewed as an educational or language teaching approach and it refers to the teaching of curricular content and L2 in an integrated manner. This approach has received international attention, yet, how CLIL unfolds in settings outside Europe appears underrepresented in international publications. The aim of this article is to provide a critical review of CLIL in Latin America between 2008 and 2018. We surveyed 64 items (articles, book chapters, and dissertations) published in regional and international outlets: 41 empirical studies, 19 practice-oriented publications, and four reviews. It begins by summarizing the CLIL continuum with a focus on content- ...
Journal of Education for Teaching
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching
Sexuality & Culture
In second language teacher education there is a gap in the literature concerning initial teacher ... more In second language teacher education there is a gap in the literature concerning initial teacher preparation on gender and sexuality education. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of a foreign language teaching module with a gender perspective on the education of a group of 30 student–teachers at an online initial English language teacher education programme in Argentina in 2018. Following an ecological approach to teacher research, data were gathered through surveys and student– teachers’ completion of coursework. Overall, the student–teachers found the experience beneficial both regarding their personal development as citizens and future teachers, in terms of their increased awareness of gender matters and their ability to produce motivating language activities anchored in wider social practices which promote gender equality and diversity. The study includes implications for initial teacher education and curriculum development.
Profile: Issues in Teachers´ Professional Development
This paper investigates the conceptions of research held by English as a foreign language teacher... more This paper investigates the conceptions of research held by English as a foreign language teachers in Argentina. Quantitative data from 622 participants from an online questionnaire were followed by qualitative data from online interviews with 40 of those participants. Results show that the teachers conceptualised research through conventional notions closer to a quantitative paradigm. They felt research was not part of their job, and a lack of time was the main reason for not engaging in/with research. Teacher development, agency, empowerment, and autonomy could be sought by engaging teachers with forms of research which are meaningful to them, such as action research.
System, Apr 2018
Native and non-native teachers in English language classrooms: Professional challenges and teache... more Native and non-native teachers in English language classrooms: Professional challenges and teacher education, Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo (Ed.). De Gruyter Mouton, Boston/Berlin (2017). 349 pp. As a non-native teacher educator of English language teaching based in Argentina, I am interested in teachers' English language proficiency and how teacher education programmes can show concerted efforts that address the relationship between language proficiency and teaching efficacy. When I spend time with teachers engaged in professional development opportunities in Argentina and other Latin American countries, there is this feeling floating in the air that we non-native teachers cannot be confident with our professionalism until we sound and teach like a native teacher as if a native L2 teacher were the Southern Cross of our profession. It is 2018 and I can still see job ads where being a native speaker of English, whatever that means, proves essential. From such motivation and experience, I felt drawn to this volume edited by Martínez Agudo as the title suggested to me, prior to reading the book, a comparison of teaching practices and professional development according to the native/non-native identity dichotomy, where the second element is defined and assessed for what is not in relation to the first as in a norm-referenced test. After reading the volume, I realised that the main focus is not so much on comparing native and non-native L2 teachers but on understanding how both can contribute to language learning and teaching processes according to their personal and professional trajectories not necessarily determined by their L1. The volume is divided into four major sections (labelled as Parts I to IV) preceded by a foreword and introduction and concluded with a " critical afterword. " The foreword has been written by Péter Medgyes, probably one of the main experts in the issue of (non)native speaker teacher (see Medgyes, 1994) and whose work is extensively cited throughout the volume. What is interesting about this foreword is that he firmly encourages readers to engage with language teachers at conferences so that researchers who are prolific writers in the field not only talk among experts but also with those they research or wish to empower through their publications. In times where writing for publication is devouring academics' time and energy, Medgyes's recommendation comes as a balm for the soul for teacher educators who mainly work with pre-as well as in-service teachers. In the Introduction, editor Martínez Agudo takes a political stance
The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teacher Education
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching
There has been much research on the connections between second language (L2) writing and learner ... more There has been much research on the connections between second language (L2) writing and learner motivation. However, few studies have focused on contexts in which L2 learning is mandatory, rather than elective. This technical action research-based study evaluated a project in which teenage learners in Argentina were engaged in creative writing tasks, with the goal of including their final written pieces in a formal publication. Through focus group interviews and group discussions, it was found that the project had increased the motivation not only of the learners, but also of the teachers. Further, the study highlights the importance of making such writing tasks student-centered, and calls attention to the role played by the teachers in motivating and engaging students. The study suggests that effort should be made to develop more initiatives in formal education settings in order to motivate and engage learners involved in mandatory language study.
Issues in Coursebook Evaluation
of implementing, adopting, and, probably or expectedly, adapting coursebooks. In other words, tea... more of implementing, adopting, and, probably or expectedly, adapting coursebooks. In other words, teachers bring coursebooks to life and not necessarily in ways naively expected by their authors. Teachers are critical and active agents and not robots following a teacher’s guide (Kiai, 2013). They need to evaluate coursebooks according to their context, learners’ needs, institutional needs, and the approach which they seek to explore. In this chapter, I focus on evaluating language and content in coursebooks following CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), where the language is English as a foreign language (EFL). I first provide reasons why teachers should evaluate coursebooks whatever their approach. Secondly, I offer a brief outline of CLIL and how it may be found in coursebooks. Thirdly, I suggest ways in which teachers can decide if a coursebook is worth adopting under a CLIL framework.
Becoming and Being a TESOL Teacher Educator
International Journal of Applied Linguistics
Cambridge Journal of Education
Framed in action research, the authors investigated the perceptions and experiences of a cohort o... more Framed in action research, the authors investigated the perceptions and experiences of a cohort of student-teachers as they learned about and explored for the first time teacher research in a selfcontained module as part of a four-year pre-service or initial English language teacher education (IELTE) programme in southern Argentina. The module, 'Research in English Language Teaching', ran from March-November 2018. It was led by a teacher educator based in Argentina and a UK-based colleague who acted as an external academic advisor. Drawing on qualitative research, data collection strategies included: the tutor's journal; student-teachers' journals; assignments; research proposals; report drafts; presentations; group discussions; interactions between the tutors; and endof-course interviews. The findings show that the module had a positive effect on student-teachers' identity, their English language proficiency, and the role of reflection in feedback processes. The student-teachers appreciated teacher research as reflective practice and as a source of professional development.
Profile: Issues in Teachers´ Professional Development
Social issues are believed to enrich English language teaching with meaningful topics. In this ar... more Social issues are believed to enrich English language teaching with meaningful topics. In this article we describe and reflect on an innovative practice which combined content and language integrated learning with comprehensive sexual education at a state secondary school in Argentina. By law, comprehensive sexual education must be included across the Argentinian curriculum and English language learning cannot be the exception. Therefore, we designed and implemented a collaborative-driven innovation that allowed learners to learn English and comprehensive sexual education with a focus on authentic materials, purposes, and tasks. The innovation was developed over a month and it involved learners delivering presentations on comprehensive sexual education topics. Reflections on the effect of the innovation and possible future directions are included.
RELC Journal
Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a dual-focussed approach that promotes the lea... more Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a dual-focussed approach that promotes the learning of curricular content in tandem with an additional language, usually English. Since its inception in the 1990s in Europe, CLIL provision has increased considerably not only in Europe but also in other contexts, such as Latin America, given its purported benefits in terms of motivation, cognitive skills development, and language awareness. However, little is known about how future teachers, i.e. pre-service teachers, are trained to teach through CLIL. This article aims to address this gap by describing how we – two CLIL teacher educators based in Argentina and Spain – offer CLIL courses. Through duoethnography, we show how we plan and implement CLIL input and what lessons we have learnt drawing on reflective practice in interaction. Analysis of our interaction illustrates how CLIL is conceived and operationalized and what CLIL competences are prioritized in our practices. Pedagogica...
International Perspectives on Teaching English in Difficult Circumstances, 2018
Banegas, D. L. (2018). "I want to make the invisible visible": Teacher motivation in Argentinian ... more Banegas, D. L. (2018). "I want to make the invisible visible": Teacher motivation in Argentinian prison education. In K. Kuchah & F. Shamim (Eds.), International perspectives on teaching English in difficult circumstances: Contexts, challenges and possibilities (Chapter 8). Basingstoke: Palgrave. 1 8 'I want to make the invisible visible': Teacher motivation in Argentinian prison education DARÍO LUIS BANEGAS Why a chapter on prison education? Prison education is underrepresented in education forums. Prisons are envisaged as settings with difficult circumstances for both teachers and learners. Bhatti (2010) argues that both teachers and learners feel peripheral to the dynamics of social participation. Studies originated in different settings stress inmates' exclusion from society and formal education before incarceration (Brine 2001; García et al. 2007; Hughes 2012; Wilson and Reuss 2000). In some cases, adult and young prisoners' trajectories are summarised through the school-to-prison pipeline concept (Raible and Irizarry 2010; Winn and Behizadeh 2011). According to Harbour and Ebie (2011), marginalisation is one form of oppression. In Freiran terms, pedagogy needs to challenge oppression and promote social justice. Freire (1969, 1970, 1992) conceived education as a way to integrate people in the construction of a participatory and democratic nation. Integration, in Freire's view, entails reflection, action, and the development of a critical stance. Education becomes a resource not only to help the oppressed to learn and wmaerite, but to encourage them to find their own voice, their liberation. This is achieved through praxis, that is, through seeking and enacting liberation (Freire, 1970). In such a scenario, Freire (1992) argued that one of the educator's tasks is to discover with their learners the possibilities for hope. As a teacher of English as a foreign language in Argentina I decided to explore English language teaching (ELT) through a focus on teacher motivation in 'difficult circumstances' with the aim of representing those colleagues working in less THIS IS NOT THE PUBLISHED VERSION Banegas, D. L. (2018). "I want to make the invisible visible": Teacher motivation in Argentinian prison education. In K. Kuchah & F. Shamim (Eds.), International perspectives on teaching English in difficult circumstances: Contexts, challenges and possibilities (Chapter 8). Basingstoke: Palgrave. 2 mainstream contexts. I approach the intersection between teacher motivation and prison education from a person-in-context, relational view of motivation (Ushioda 2009). This relational view of teacher motivation entails that we understand the benefits of prison education as these will impact on teachers' motivation. Education in contexts of confinement Prison education is not an easy enterprise. Schools in contexts of confinement in different countries operate within a larger institution, the prison, with dissimilar aims. While schools aim at empowerment, prisons aim at control. Diseth et al. (2008) assert that prison education aims at preparing inmates for life after prison and therefore attempts to reduce recidivism. Within this perspective, Wilson and Reuss (2000) illustrate how education can change offending behaviour through the deployment of empowering pedagogies. Reports indicate that education through formal schooling and language skills development and training has the power to influence academic achievement, employment opportunities, and social involvement (Brazier, Hurry and Wilson 2010; Faltis 2014; Hartnett, Novek and Wood 2013). Behind these aims, teachers mediate between the prison and the outside world. In contrast, García et al. (2007) describe prisons as social containers, and some prisons, as reported from Argentina (Manchado 2012), obstruct the educational process. For example, they do not offer adequate classrooms, spaces which are independent from the prison building, or teaching and learning materials (but see Batchelder and Rachal 2000). In addition, prison life interferes with delivery of lessons or learners' attendance. Such conflicting aims and constraints raise tension. Blazich (2007) states that prisons are based on control and homogenisation, and conditions of security in contrast with school aims. According to Spaulding (2011), prison educators in the US live the tension between prison administrators' controlling aims and educators' desire to teach. The author adds that teachers sustain their motivation because they feel they matter and make a difference in the lives of their learners. Conversely, THIS IS NOT THE PUBLISHED VERSION Banegas, D. L. (2018). "I want to make the invisible visible": Teacher motivation in Argentinian prison education. In K. Kuchah & F. Shamim (Eds.), International perspectives on teaching English in difficult circumstances: Contexts, challenges and possibilities (Chapter 8). Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching
Bilingual education, usually a community’s L1 and English continues spreading geographically and ... more Bilingual education, usually a community’s L1 and English continues spreading geographically and across educational systems worldwide. With this expansion, the development of bilingual education approaches is under constant scrutiny. One recent approach is content and language integrated learning (CLIL). European in origin, CLIL can be viewed as an educational or language teaching approach and it refers to the teaching of curricular content and L2 in an integrated manner. This approach has received international attention, yet, how CLIL unfolds in settings outside Europe appears underrepresented in international publications. The aim of this article is to provide a critical review of CLIL in Latin America between 2008 and 2018. We surveyed 64 items (articles, book chapters, and dissertations) published in regional and international outlets: 41 empirical studies, 19 practice-oriented publications, and four reviews. It begins by summarizing the CLIL continuum with a focus on content- ...
Journal of Education for Teaching
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching
Sexuality & Culture
In second language teacher education there is a gap in the literature concerning initial teacher ... more In second language teacher education there is a gap in the literature concerning initial teacher preparation on gender and sexuality education. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of a foreign language teaching module with a gender perspective on the education of a group of 30 student–teachers at an online initial English language teacher education programme in Argentina in 2018. Following an ecological approach to teacher research, data were gathered through surveys and student– teachers’ completion of coursework. Overall, the student–teachers found the experience beneficial both regarding their personal development as citizens and future teachers, in terms of their increased awareness of gender matters and their ability to produce motivating language activities anchored in wider social practices which promote gender equality and diversity. The study includes implications for initial teacher education and curriculum development.
Profile: Issues in Teachers´ Professional Development
This paper investigates the conceptions of research held by English as a foreign language teacher... more This paper investigates the conceptions of research held by English as a foreign language teachers in Argentina. Quantitative data from 622 participants from an online questionnaire were followed by qualitative data from online interviews with 40 of those participants. Results show that the teachers conceptualised research through conventional notions closer to a quantitative paradigm. They felt research was not part of their job, and a lack of time was the main reason for not engaging in/with research. Teacher development, agency, empowerment, and autonomy could be sought by engaging teachers with forms of research which are meaningful to them, such as action research.
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching
This paper explores how three Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) lecturers w... more This paper explores how three Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) lecturers working in English-medium instruction (EMI) grapple with the prospect of self-positioning as English-language- teachers (ELTs), drawing on interviews in which they explicitly deny acting in this way. It begins with essential background, first discussing key concepts such as EMI, internationalization, Englishization in higher education and ‘CLIL-ised EMI’, the latter understood as what happens when EMI is reframed as sharing key characteristic with Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) – language teaching. The paper then outlines the main focus – the notion that STEM specialist EMI lecturers might, on occasion, act as ELTs – examining selected findings from previous research exploring this topic. This discussion is followed by further background information about the context and the methodological framework adopted here, a revised version of Positioning Theory. These preliminaries aside, the paper presents a series of excerpts from interviews with informants, which then serve to construct a narrative about EMI lecturers as ELTs. In the face of informants’ resistance to this identity, the paper ends with some thoughts on what has been learned, both in this context and further afield