International Conference: language education for sustainable development

UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals emphasize the necessity to promote “appreciation of cultural diversity” (SDG 4.7) as well as “the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or economic or other status”(SDG 10.2), thereby inextricably intertwining sustainability and diversity. However, these goals are being challenged not only by a political backlash, but also by the lived realities of an increasing complexity of diversity. Our society is what Vertovec (2007) has called “superdiverse”: Diversity in post-migrant societies is shaped not only by migration (Karakayalı/Mecheril 2021) but by an ongoing diversification of diversity that needs to take into account different dimensions, such as languages, legal immigration status, gender, age, social background.

In this respect, English language education – with its curricular focus on cultural learning and discursive competencies – has the potential to become a space for exploring different participatory opportunities within superdiverse classroom settings (Braselmann 2024). However, the English language teaching profession in Germany is far from being as diverse as the classrooms – instead, a rather homogeneous, white, middle-class teaching force is being asked to include different perspectives, to address social injustices, and to deal with the demands and issues arising from superdiversity. This field of tension, this paper argues, requires careful analysis, critical evaluation, and an increased focus on self-reflexivity and positionality in the early stages of teacher education.

Building on recent scholarship in the field of superdiversity, this theoretical-conceptual research paper first outlines the key challenges of participatory opportunities and civic engagement and explores the potential of interdisciplinary analysis. More practically, it suggests the potential of working with self-reflection tools in teacher education. By discussing examples of the design of self-reflection tools, this paper shows how teacher education can equip English language teachers to realize the full potential of their classrooms.

Braselmann, Silke (2024). "Teaching About Black Lives Matter, Teaching Against Racism: Opportunities for Participation in Antiracist English Language Education". In: Philipp Löffler et al. (eds). Participation in American Culture and Society. Heidelberg: Winter. 137-162.

Karakayalı, Juliane and Paul Mecheril (2021). “Contested crises. Migration regimes as an analytical perspective on today’s societies”. In: Anna Meera Gaonkar et al (eds.). Postmigration. Art, Culture, and Politics in Contemporary Europe. Bielefeld: Transcript. Pp. 75-85.

Vertovec, Steven (2007). Superdiversity. Migration and Social Complexity. New York: Routledge.

Silke Braselmann, Dr. phil., is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer for Teaching English as a Foreign Language at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena. Her current research focuses on anti-racist ELT and teacher education, Young Adult Literature, critical media literacy/multiliteracies, as well as cultural learning in digital spaces.