Transformative Horizons in ELT: Reworking Identities, Spaces, and Pedagogies
Transformative Horizons in ELT: Reworking Identities, Spaces, and Pedagogies
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The 21st National and 9th International Symposium on Foreign Language Research is an annual event organized by the Undergraduate Foreign Language Teacher Education Programs and the Master’s Programs in English Didactics of Universidad Surcolombiana (Neiva, Huila) and Universidad del Tolima (Ibagué, Tolima).
This space was originally conceived as a venue to disseminate results from research projects, teaching practicum experiences and pedagogical reflections linked to the field of foreign language teaching and learning (Macías & Jaime, 2018). Following this tradition, we are pleased to announce a new symposium edition titled “Transformative Horizons in ELT: Reworking Identities, Spaces, and Pedagogies.”
In this year’s event, we seek to explore how the landscape of English Language Teaching is shifting beneath our feet. We acknowledge that the post-pandemic world, the rise of generative artificial intelligence, long-overdue reckonings with social injustice, and a growing awareness of diverse linguistic realities are forcing the field to confront fundamental questions.
The 21st National & 9th International Symposium on Foreign Language Research: Transformative Horizons in ELT is regarded as a vital opportunity for dialogue, debate, and discovery, dedicated to reworking the core pillars of our practice: our identities as teachers and learners, the spaces we inhabit, and the pedagogies we enact.
The symposium will be held at Universidad Surcolombiana in Neiva (Huila), Colombia on November 5th and 6th, 2026. Thus, we invite contributions that critically engage with one or more of the following thematic streams:
Key themes of the symposium include
Key themes of the symposium include
Theme 1—Territories of Transformation: Rurality, Peacebuilding, and Social Justice in Language Education
This theme brings ELT within its most urgent social and geographical contexts. We seek to explore how language education can be a powerful force for healing and change. Presentations might delve into pedagogies for post-conflict reconciliation, the intertwining of English, land, and territorial identity, or the practical application of social justice as a classroom-based pedagogy.
Theme 2—Beyond the Native Speaker: Decoloniality, Interculturality, and Power in a Multilingual World
This stream challenges entrenched power dynamics by moving beyond the myth of the "native speaker." We invite explorations of how to foster a critical interculturality that goes beyond superficial folklore to examine privilege and cultural stereotypes. We are particularly interested in how perspectives from English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and decolonial thought can reshape curricula, teacher training, and classroom practice to better prepare students for equitable global interactions.
Theme 3—Pedagogies in Transition: Navigating Digital Realities, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Post-Pandemic Learning Ecologies
The rapid acceleration of digital technologies has fundamentally altered the educational landscape. This theme focuses on the practical and philosophical implications of these recent developments. We encourage discussions on the ethical and pedagogical integration of Generative AI in lesson planning, assessment, and feedback. Furthermore, we aim to delve deeply into how the forced and continued shift to online and hybrid spaces has reshaped teacher identity, agency, professional well-being, and the very nature of the learning community.
Theme 4—Assessment in Action: Towards Fairer and More Equitable Practices in the Classroom
This theme explores the relationship among teachers’ Language Assessment Literacy (LAL), their implementation of alternative assessment methodologies, and the projection of assessment as a key component in language education. A critical focus will be on developing and interrogating alternatives to high-stakes standardized testing, particularly in vulnerable and public-school contexts.
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