ABSTRACTS

Decoloniality in ELT and EAP: What it is, what it is not and why it matters for practice

Kashmir Kaur

This talk draws on a recent research project on decoloniality in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to explore how dominant understandings of ‘academic language’ reproduce particular epistemic and linguistic hierarchies. The session will clarify what decoloniality is - and is not - distinguishing it from inclusion-based or diversity-based approaches. Through examples from EAP practice and interactive activities, participants will be invited to critically reflect on their own teaching contexts and consider how decolonial perspectives can open up alternative ways of thinking about language, knowledge and pedagogy.

Developing critical thinking in English classes in alignment with the SDGs

Ana Luísa Batista

The 21st century presents new challenges that require developing essential competencies in students, with critical thinking being a key focus. This includes educating students on the principles of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are crucial for building fair, sustainable and democratic societies. The presentation will explore how critical thinking can be integrated into English language teaching, using the SDGs as a foundation to engage students with global issues. By connecting these goals to classroom practices, students can develop their linguistic skills, enhance their critical thinking, and gain a deeper understanding of their role in shaping a better world.

The power of visual aids in reading comprehension

Ana Margarida Coutinho

In a world increasingly dominated by visual communication, teachers are encouraged to adopt strategies and teaching materials that actively engage students throughout the learning process. Although visual resources play a growing role in English language coursebooks, research suggests that their pedagogical potential remains underexplored, particularly in relation to reading comprehension. The language classroom should be seen as a privileged context for developing reading skills, which underpin many other relevant competences. Against this backdrop, this presentation will showcase teaching-oriented experiences that incorporate visual materials across the three stages of reading, with the aim of enhancing both the dynamism and effectiveness of the reading process.

Developing writing skills in the English as a Foreign Language classroom through fanfiction

Mariana Subtil

When faced with writing tasks, students often struggle with a lack of inspiration or motivation, frequently perceiving assignments as repetitive or overly demanding. In response, teachers are encouraged to design more creative and dynamic activities that move beyond traditional teaching practices. In recent years, researchers have increasingly turned to fanfiction as a promising alternative, as this fan-based practice has been shown to support the development of English language skills, particularly writing. This presentation shares pedagogical proposals for successfully integrating fanfiction into the English as a Foreign Language classroom, with the aim of fostering students’ engagement and enhancing their writing skills.

THE SPEAKERS

Kashmir Kaur (SFHEA) is an Associate Professor of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at the University of Leeds, UK. She currently leads and teaches in-sessional EAP in the School of Earth and Environment and the Institute of Transport. She is also collaborating on a Lingua Connect project with colleagues from Leeds, Mexico, and Brazil, which incorporates COIL pedagogy and AI-enhanced learning. Previously, she co-led the interdisciplinary Building Artificial Intelligence-Based Education Languages (BAIBEL) project. Her research interests include decoloniality, critical EAP, internationalisation, linguistic imperialism, native-speakerism, digital literacies, dialogic feedback, and criticality in higher education.

Luísa Batista completed her Master’s degree in Teaching Portuguese and English as a Foreign Language at the University of Coimbra in 2025. She considers this Master’s degree to have profoundly transformed her views on education, enriching her professional practice with new methodologies, perspectives and strategies aimed at enhancing students’ learning in both Portuguese as a mother tongue and English as a foreign language. She has recently begun her career as an English teacher.

Ana Margarida Coutinho holds a degree in Languages, Literatures and Cultures (with a Major in Portuguese and a Minor in English) from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, where she cultivated an interest in literature and linguistics. In 2025, she completed her Master’s Degree in Teaching Portuguese and English in Middle School and in High School at the University of Coimbra. Although teaching began as an unexpected chapter in her life, Margarida soon realised that it allowed her to deepen and share her passions while channeling her enthusiasm toward young learners.

Mariana Subtil earned a degree in Modern Languages from the University of Coimbra, inspired by her mother’s career and her own aspiration to become a teacher. From an early stage, she found a sense of belonging in fan communities and comfort in fan practices, through which she developed much of her English language proficiency. Her interest in fanfiction and its potential for language learning was later consolidated during her Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, as she sought to explore how an informal practice that supported her own learning (and that of many others) could be meaningfully adapted to the classroom context.