Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

Recent years have seen increased attention to the need for promoting diversity and inclusion in language education. A recent special issue of ELT Journal, for example, was devoted to an exploration of the importance of creating educational environments that are inclusive of different identities that relate to gender and sexuality (Banegas & Evripidou, 2021). Around the same time, a special issue of the Forum of another leading journal of the field, TESOL Quarterly, focused on the notion of ableism. In the words of the guest editor Subtirelu (2021, p. 670), the issue was “intended to explore how concepts of what ‘normal’ abilities are or should be make English language teaching inaccessible, ineffective, or oppressive for many students”. In this special issue of TESL-EJ, we focus on Global Englishes and translanguaging, two areas that have attracted much recent interest and efforts as ways to advance the agenda of diversity and inclusion in language education. As expressed in the initial call for papers for this special issue, a major aim of the special issue is to engage in and promote exchanges which offer insights into how language learning and teaching based on the spirit of Global Englishes and translanguaging: 1. acknowledges the strengths and talents of all students; 2. promotes student engagement, agency, and voice; 3. contributes to the acceptance and celebration of different language backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and values of students; 4. suggests a change of the teacher role in the classroom; and 5. encourages a rethink about issues of materials design, language assessment, curriculum development, teacher education, and language policy.