Sustaining Inclusive, Equitable, and Accessible Language Education in a COVID-19 Endemic World

In the last three years, major disruptions have affected our lives and to a certain extent influenced our perspectives and practices on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in language education. I remember it was this time in 2020 when most countries worldwide started closing their borders and schools began shutting their doors to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. It was also at this time in the same year when schools started adopting fully remote/online modes of teaching and assessment, where teachers had to transform their face-to-face lessons and assessments into various delivery modes (e.g., printed modules, radio/TV programs, SMS, online, etc.). At that time we could hear different stories of struggles – the struggles of teachers in designing, developing, and facilitating remote/online instruction and assessment using various technological tools, struggles of students in learning from home due to limited technology access and inconducive home learning environments, and struggles of parents in managing and supporting their children in their home-based learning. Then, last year, international conflicts occurred in some parts of the world, leading to major humanitarian catastrophes and economic disruptions. As a result, access to necessities and services, including language education, became less accessible to many, especially the economically disadvantaged.

As we have witnessed in the last three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive learning loss despite the widespread adoption of remote/online instruction (UNESCO, The World Bank, and UNICEF, 2021). It has widened the inequality of learning opportunities, placed vulnerable minorities at a great disadvantage, and heightened socio-emotional and mental health issues among learners (World Bank, 2020). Similarly, international conflicts and economic disruption worldwide have also curtailed equal opportunities to access quality (language) education. In some places, language learners and teachers have lost their purpose and direction. Some learners have left schools due to changes in priorities, while some teachers have left the profession due to heavy workloads and insufficient salaries. Indeed, we have lost so much – quality learning, competent teachers, and promising learners. As we transition to a COVID-19 endemic world, how can we recover these losses? How can we ensure that quality language learning is accessible to everyone?

The abovementioned questions appear simple, yet they require complex answers. Perhaps, as classroom practitioners, researchers, and policymakers, we can start by having a strong understanding of the complexities of the English language, so we can design, develop, and implement ways and resources that can help learners easily learn the language. Then, probably, we need to explore multiple ways to understand our learners so we know what they really need and how we can help them effectively fulfill such needs. Lastly, we may need to (re)think about how we can empower our teachers and learners and ensure their well-being as they discharge their various roles and responsibilities in a language classroom. Throughout the pandemic period, we have seen new research findings on the nature of the English language and witnessed how artificial intelligence (AI) has changed the dynamics of language learning (e.g., ChatGPT). We have also seen the emergence and resurgence of policies, paradigms, and approaches relevant to remote/online English language teaching (ELT). Most importantly, we have learned new skills, tips, and tricks for language teaching online (e.g., how to use different digital tools for second language (L2) teaching and assessment, how to engage language learners, how to avoid screen fatigue, etc.).

In this April 2023 issue of the RELC Journal, you will see examples of new findings, perspectives, practices, and competencies that can help you transition to a new ELT landscape in a COVID-19 endemic world. We have carefully curated scholarly articles that can help you advance your understanding of the evolving complexities of the English language, enhance your practices in understanding, motivating, and engaging your L2 learners, and empower yourself professionally through various forms. Conceptual and empirical studies on teaching, assessment, and teacher development practices that foster diversity, inclusion, and equity are presented, while viewpoints and narratives that expand your understanding of English and L2 learning are offered.

On teaching approaches and interventions, the research article by Jack C Richards and Jack KH Pun walks us through the different forms of English medium instruction (EMI) as applied in different contexts, while the viewpoint article by Rui Yuan guides us with the potential roles and responsibilities of language specialists in EMI teacher development in higher education. In addition, the review article by Tsung-han Weng acquaints us with the critical pedagogy in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) with its conceptualizations, instantiations, benefits, and challenges, while the article by Kevin Wai Ho Yung teaches us how to use songs packaged as exam practice to engage exam-oriented students in communicative language teaching (CLT). Moreover, the article by Liangjiang Jiang, Shulin Yu, Nan Zhou, and Yiqin Xu shows us the characteristics and complex variations of L2 writing instruction in China, while the article by Deyuan He and David CS Li provides us with some insights into the glocalization of ELT reform in China. Lastly, the article by Krich Rajprasit brings us to the realm of diversity and inclusion in language education and offers us a practical example of how to incorporate World Englishes (WE) into an English language learning course for university students in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context.

On language assessment, the article by Ricky Lam thematically analyzes the work done and those that need to be done in the area of e-Portfolio pedagogy and assessment and discusses implications that empower teachers to be assessment-capable and technology-literate when e-Portfolios are utilized in authentic classroom settings. In addition, the article by Joshua Matthews investigates how the analysis of inter-rater discourse can be used to support collective reflective practice in L2 assessment. Lastly, the article by Chau Ngoc Dang and Thi Ngoc Yen Dang confirms the existing findings on the predictive validity of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test results and the contribution of IELTS preparation courses to international students’ subsequent academic study.

On research advancing our understanding of the characteristics of English and L2 learning, the article by Peichin Chang shows us that the use of a thematic progression (TP) pattern in a research introduction does not always translate to better research argument readability and suggests that effective lexical chains and marked themes, which signal the ties between clauses, can ease processing. The article by Ulugbek Nurmukhamedov and Shoaziz Sharakhimov also shows us that knowledge of the most frequent 5000 word families, including proper nouns, marginal words, transparent compounds, and acronyms, can help L2 learners more effectively handle the vocabulary demands of podcasts (and perhaps even other similar listening materials). In terms of factors affecting language learning and academic performance, the article by Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan and Hossein Nassaji equips us with a new understanding of L2 motivation by expanding Dörnyei's L2 motivational self-system (L2MSS) framework with the addition of three sociocultural dimensions: diversity, inclusivity, and entitlement. On the other hand, the article by Joanna Zawodniak, Mariusz Kruk, and Miroslaw Pawlak informs us of the five major categories of factors that contribute to boredom in language learning, namely: the language tasks, the teacher, modes of class organization, and class components.

On teacher competencies and professional development, the article by Benjamin Luke Moorhouse, Yanna Li, and Steve Walsh discusses the three additional competencies needed by teachers to use interaction as a tool to mediate and assist language learning in synchronous online lessons: technological competencies, online environment management competencies, and online teacher interactional competencies. The article by Anisa Cheung also uncovers the three factors influencing a teacher's level of technology integration in online teaching, such as a teacher's pedagogical beliefs, context, and professional development. In terms of teacher identity and reflective practice in language education, the viewpoint article by Jack C Richards discusses how the notion of identity contributes to our understanding of the nature of the teacher self, L2 learning, and teacher-learning in language teaching. In addition, the article by Thomas C Farrell and Connie Stanclick examines an EFL teacher's reflection and explains why there are convergence and divergence in teachers’ beliefs and classroom actions. Moreover, the article by Parawati Siti Sondari describes through a critical and analytical autoethnography how critical pedagogy intersects with pedagogical practices, transformed identities, and spaces and discusses how such intersections can be applied in the English teacher education curriculum. Lastly, the article by Nam Giang Tran, Xuan Van Ha, and Ngoc Hai Tran describes how teacher cognition (deep-rooted knowledge and beliefs) influences the way a language teacher implements a reformed English curriculum and discusses why teachers vary in enacting the reformed curriculum.

Over the last three years, we have encountered many problems and challenges that affected our L2 learners’ academic performances and well-being. However, throughout the same period, we have also seen innovative and effective responses to such problems and challenges. While we have identified many losses in the language education arena, we have also spotted gains in some areas. Referring back to the questions, how can we recover our significant losses during the pandemic? and how can we sustain an inclusive, equitable, and accessible language education as we transition to a COVID-19 endemic world?, our articles in this issue offer varied, meaningful answers. I hope that you will find the articles in this issue empowering and inspiring, so that you will find the motivation to make language education more inclusive, equitable, accessible, and sustainable for everyone in your own context.