Call for Proposals

Over the last decade, language teachers and researchers have increased their focus on social justice, which Osborn (2006) defines as the equitable sharing of social power and benefits within a society. In the context of language education, this would include policies, curricula, as well as instructional practices. Evidence of this recent upturn in interest includes the 2018 publication of the 2nd edition of Words and Actions: Teaching Languages through the Lens of Social Justice (Glynn, Wassell, & Wesely) and the 2017 establishment of the ACTFL Critical and Social Justice Approaches Special Interest Group (SIG). Many researchers (e.g., Leeman, 2007; Norton & Toohey, 2010; Osborn, 2006; Randolph & Johnson, 2017) have challenged the idea that language classrooms should focus solely on proficiency-based practices and have called upon language educators to take a more critical approach to curriculum development and instruction that recognizes the political nature of language study. Questions of immigration, diversity, inclusion, multiculturalism, and globalism--all of which are informed by language and language learning--dominate the political climate in the United States, demonstrating the urgency of this line of inquiry.

This edited volume seeks to contribute to current literature on social justice in language education in two ways:

1.) K-16 articulation
While many individual teachers collaborate across levels, the lack of articulation and coherence across levels contributes to the perception that social justice is for some students and not for others, or that it looks radically different in some classes than in others. By presenting examples of successful classroom practices from a range of levels and ages (K-8, secondary, and post-secondary), this volume will construct a cohesive, articulated vision for social justice in language education.

2.) Practical application
Much research focuses on conceptual and theoretical exploration at the expense of practical examples that teachers can apply immediately to their own teaching. Our hope is that this volume will provide examples, guidance, and community-building around specific themes.

We will consider essays that respond to one or more of the following questions:

--> How do you explore critical topics and make connections to current events within existing curriculum, thematic units, or textbook chapters?

--> How do you amplify the voices of L2 community members--both historical and contemporary heroes--already working toward social justice in their own communities?

--> How do you bring in counternarratives and the voices of marginalized L2 users in order to challenge hierarchical, hegemonic, and non-inclusive portrayals of cultures and communities?

--> How do you apply inclusive teaching practices to your L2 classroom? What does inclusive success look like in your context?

--> How do you engage with authentic L2 communities?
 
We hope to receive a variety of submissions that explore research and/or practice and that are representative of K-8, secondary, and post-secondary contexts and amplify the voices of diverse teachers doing this work at the classroom level. Information Age Publishing has expressed interest in this project for inclusion in their Contemporary Language Education series (http://www.infoagepub.com/series/Contemporary-Language-Education).

To propose an essay for inclusion in this edited collection, submit an abstract of 400 words or less to this form by June 30, 2019. If you have any questions about the submission process, this volume, or your contribution, please contact the appropriate editor:

Early Language, Pre-Kindergarten-8th Grade: Dr. Kelly F. Davidson, Valdosta State University, kfdavidson@valdosta.edu
Secondary: Dr. L. J. Randolph Jr., University of North Carolina at Wilmington, RandolphL@uncw.edu
Post-Secondary: Dr. Stacey Margarita Johnson, Vanderbilt University, stacey.m.johnson@vanderbilt.edu