Modern Didactic Approaches and Methods for Second Language Teaching to Students with Migrant or Refugee Background, Volume 7, No. 3, September, 2020

Call for Papers: Modern Didactic Approaches and Methods for Second Language Teaching to Students with Migrant or Refugee Background, Volume 7, No. 3, September, 2020

Editor: Kostas Magos, University of Thessaly (Greece) & Mary Margaroni, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)

For the most part of the 20th century Functionalism and Functional Literacy focused on communicative and text-oriented approaches emphasizing mainly sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence and strategic competence (Canale & Swain, 1980; Savignon, 1983). However, in recent decades, language teaching and learning, including L2 (second language) teaching and learning, was influenced by Social Constructivism, which stresses that an individual’s learning takes place because of his or her interactions in a group (Glasersfeld, 1989), Multiliteracies, which highlights linguistic diversity and multimodal forms of linguistic expression and representation (New London Group, 1996), and Critical Literacy, which enhances critical reflection (Freire & Macedo, 1987). Therefore, L2 teaching and learning began to focus on post-communicative approaches.

The “post-communicative era,” i.e., the period since the year 2000, has been characterized by an emphasis on the strong power of language to construct, deconstruct and reconstruct social reality. Under the influence of the Brazilian educator and theorist Paulo Freire and his fundamental work Pedagogy of the oppressed (Freire, 1972), Social Justice Pedagogy emphasizes critical orientation, in which the aim of language teaching is not limited to the improvement of language and communication skills, but also aims to develop students’ critical awareness. Students participate in the process of critical interpretation of written or oral discourse and dispute sovereign ideologies and established powers. In addition, Social Justice Pedagogy places an emphasis on constructive orientation in learning by focusing on students’ individual needs and preferences, differentiated teaching, and exploration of learning. Students become actively involved in solving problems through co-operation and interaction in a task-based and student-centered context.

Hence, L2 applies modern didactic approaches with an emphasis on: the social character of teaching; the dialectic process towards knowledge; experiential, discovery-based, interdisciplinary and cross curricular thematic learning, using flexible language material; reinforcement of critical thinking (Luke & Dooley, 2011), the use of critical discourse analysis (Fairclough & Wodak, 1997/2004); problem solving; the strengthening of students’ multiple identities, taking into account and using their experiences and interculturality; internal differentiation in the classroom; the use of translanguaging practices (Lagabaster & García, 2014); the use of new technologies; the creation of open learning environments, etc.

Respectively, L2 Teaching applies modern didactic methods, including, but not limited to, Task-Based, Game-Based, Theater-Based, Art-Based Language Teaching, Transformative Learning through Aesthetic Experience, and Content and Language Integrated Learning. It aims not only to improve students’ receptive and productive language skills, but also to transform the language lesson into a vehicle for developing critical consciousness as well as a vehicle to political action for peace and social change.

This themed issue seeks manuscripts that focus on modern didactic approaches and methods for L2 teaching to students with a migrant or refugee background in formal and non-formal education from a global perspective. We are especially interested in manuscripts with a focus on political action for peace and social change. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• L2 teaching to migrants and/or refugees and
• education policy
• specific curricula and educational material
• modern didactic approaches and methods in formal and non formal education: best practices framed by an in-depth theoretical background
• empowering of cultural identities
• adult education
• migrant/refugee women education
• Peace, Democracy, and Human Rights Education

Please send an abstract of no more than 250 words in length with at least ten literature sources as an additional attachment and contact information for all authors to magos@uth.gr and marymargaroni@smg.auth.gr by 31 October 2019. Abstracts will be reviewed for fit. You will be informed if the manuscript is invited for review by the 30 November 2019. Full manuscripts are due by the 15 February 2020.

Authors of articles invited for review are required to participate in a blind review of two articles submitted for publication in the same issue.