In this polylog to the special issue on "The rise of Chinese language education policies in the oil-rich Arabian Gulf: New players, discourses and linguistic markets," three researchers with different personal and professional connections to the three languages 'at play' in the region -- English, Chinese, and Arabic -- offer their…

The year 2020 marked the 25th year since Bonny Norton published her influential "TESOL Quarterly" article, 'Social identity, investment, and language learning' (Norton Peirce, 1995) and the fifth year since we, Darvin and Norton (2015), co-authored 'Identity and a model of investment in applied linguistics' in the "Annual Review of…

This paper explores the intersection of neoliberal ideologies and language policy in the context of Chinese language education in Oman's higher education system. Drawing on critical discourse analysis and theoretical frameworks of neoliberalism, the study investigates the introduction of Chinese language programmes within Omani universities, with…

This article explores the niche occupied by transnational English teachers within the context of Korean ELT. Employing intersectionality theory as an analytic framework, the study examines the lived experiences of Leo (pseudonym), a German national who taught English in Korea circumventing legal restrictions against non-native English-speaking…

Each year, multitudes respond to the demand for native English speakers to teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Asian countries, particularly China, Japan, and South Korea. These EFL transnationals are often young, new to living abroad, and inexperienced as educators. When they arrive, they often find a community, and an identity waiting…

This autoethnographic study uses personal memoirs to explore the author's allyship and advocacy efforts throughout the past 24 years in the language teaching profession. Through the process of self-reflexivity and introspection, "turning points" are investigated to understand more about what influences the actions and behaviors of…

This exploratory study examines the link between emotions and teacher agency across different geographical contexts. Semi-structured interviews and life stories were used and analyzed through Hargreaves' emotional geography framework. The findings reveal that emotions significantly influence the teachers' ability to manage classroom dynamics and…

This reflective article examines the emerging tendencies in critical perspectives within English Language Teaching (ELT). The article begins by providing a brief historical overview of ELT's critical pedagogies and discussing its perspectives in the post-pandemic era. It highlights the need for critical approaches that address power dynamics,…

This study examines the testimonios of Mexican language teachers who experienced the violent and institutional imposition of neoliberal policies at the main university at the state of Puebla. Through the analysis of "testimonios," language teachers narrated their own trajectories to resist the implementation of the neoliberal policies,…

In the field of international education and development, International Language and Culture Promotion Organisations (ILCPOs) have played an important part for more than a century. More than 40 countries and regions have set up such organisations. Despite the diversity of these ILCPOs, few comparative studies have been conducted to examine their…

In this paper, we investigate the pressures placed upon English teaching by neo-nationalist politics, particularly as it overlays existing neoliberal constraints. We focus on the experiences and perspectives of Brazilian teachers who are committed to critical language education even as it carries increasing risks to themselves. Interviews with…

This point of departure offers several provocations for languages education in the higher education sector. From our standpoint as world language educators working in Australia and New Zealand, we trace universalising claims about languages through coloniality and the attendant ideology of monolingualism. We then consider the emancipatory…

Student voice has gained momentum in improving educational landscapes recently. With the aim of creating opportunities for empowering educational systems, student voice rests upon the premise that curricula are co-created, mediated dialogically, and co-designed by teachers and students. Yet, student voice expression might be restricted by power…

This study investigated EFL teachers' underlying assumptions about assessment and how these assumptions are congruent with current perspectives in assessment. Informed by interpretivist philosophical underpinnings, the study adopted qualitative research approach. Nine teachers from three universities located in western Ethiopia participated in the…

This study aims to examine the diverse strategies employed in apology and request, investigate the influence of cultural factors, social power, and social distance on these strategies, and explore the existing limitations and gaps in the literature for future research. Data collection is conducted using the qualitative technique. Qualitative…