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Recent years have seen increasing criticism of Applied Linguistics and language teaching, as well as calls for decolonising the field. A new volume, entitled Innovations in the Teaching of English and World Languages from a Decolonial Perspective, aims to contribute to this discourse by examining how language teacher education courses challenge colonial knowledge structures. The editors of the volume, Fabiola P. Ehlers-Zavala (Colorado State University), Michele Back (University of Connecticut), and Yecid Ortega (Queen’s University, Belfast), are keen to reveive chapter proposals for this project.
The Editors
Fabiola P. Ehlers-Zavala
Fabiola P. Ehlers-Zavala is Professor of English (TESL/TEFL) at Colorado State University. She currently serves as President of the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL).
Michele Back
Michele Back is an Associate Professor of World Languages Education at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, where she works with teacher candidates in Spanish, French, Latin, and Chinese Language Education.
Yecid Ortega
Yecid Ortega is a Lecturer at Queens University, Belfast. He has a strong research interest in the intersection of social justice and language education.
Call for chapters
The editors welcome chapters on a range of topics, such as reports on empirical work, accounts of current innovations, or conceptual work that further interrogates how to decolonize the field. These could focus on any level, from individual courses and programs to institution-wide initiatives. The editors are particularly keen on proposals for chapters that describe applications of indigenous methodologies.
Each chapter should range approximately 5,000-6,000 words, excluding any references.
Some possible questions that proposed chapters could address, as described by the editors, include the following:
- What would language teacher education programs look like under a decolonial approach?
- What are the main challenges to overcome when attempting to decolonize language teacher preparation programs in higher education?
- What are some potential strategies or models to overcome those identified challenges?
- What are some specific strategies that have proven effective in advancing the decolonial project?
- How could programs for language teacher preparation be conceived/revised to prepare both pre-service and in-service professionals to advance this project?
How to submit a proposal
If you are interested in submitting a proposal for a chapter, the editors would like you to send them an MS-Word (.doc/.docx) file with the following information:
- Contact information (name, affiliation, and email) of primary point of contact
- Contact information (name, affiliation, and email) of alternate point of contact
- Biographical statement(s) for the author(s) (50-70 words each)
- A clear, descriptive tentative title (7 words)
- Some (5-6) key words
- A brief (250 to 300 words, excl. references) description of the chapter outlining the focus and methodology of the chapter, and explaining how the proposed chapter contributes to the overall project
- 2-3 main questions that the chapter intends to address
- A description of how the chapter connects to the main book premise (100 to 150 words)
- Selected key references page (APA style, 7th) supporting the main premise of the chapter
The editors would also appreciate separate statements about the expected number of black and white illustrations in the chapter. Unfortunately, there is a limitation on using colour figures. Authors should remember that it is their responsibility to secure permission to use any copyrighted content.
A disclosure is expected for any work that has been previously published, in whole or in part, including open-access publications. In this case, too, authors should secure permission to reproduce copyrighted work. Alternatively, authors should include a separate statement that the proposed chapter is fully original and has not been published or presented before.
Book proposals can be submitted by email to Prof. Ehlers-Zavala (Fabiola.Ehlers-Zavala [at] colostate [dot] edu. The email subject line should read “2023 Innovations Chapter Proposal“.
Ultimate acceptance of the chapter is subject to the publisher’s final decision.
Important dates
The table below displays the tentative production timeline for Innovations in the Teaching of English and World Languages from a Decolonial Perspective.
| Tentative date | |
|---|---|
| Proposal submission | 31 October 2023 |
| Notification of acceptance | 30 November 2023 |
| Chapter submission | 31 January 2024 |
| Reviews sent to authors | 30 April 2024 |
| Revised chapters due | 31 July 2024 |
| Book submission | 31 October 2024 |
| Publication date | TBC |
Further Information
If you wish to learn more about the book, you may email Prof. Ehlers-Zavala (Fabiola.Ehlers-Zavala [at] colostate [dot] edu).
About me
Achilleas Kostoulas is an applied linguist and language teacher educator at the Department of Primary Education, University of Thessaly, Greece. He holds a PhD and an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Manchester, UK and a BA in English Studies from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
His research explores a wide range of issues connected with language (teacher) education, including language contact and plurilingualism, linguistic identities and ideologies, language policy and didactics, often using a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory to tease out connections between them. Some of his work in the field includes the research monograph The Intentional Dynamics of TESOL (2021, De Gruyter; with Juup Stelma) and the edited volume Doctoral Study and Getting Published (2025, Emerald; with Richard Fay), as well as numerous other publications.
Achilleas currently contributes to several projects that bring together his long-standing interests in language education, teacher development, and the social dimensions of language learning. As the coordinator of the expert team of AI Lang (Artificial Intelligence in Language Education), an initiative of the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe, he works on developing principles and resources to help educators make informed, pedagogically grounded use of AI in their teaching. He also leads the University of Thessaly team of ReaLiTea (Research Literacy of Teachers), a project that supports language teachers in developing the capacity to engage with, and contribute to, educational research. Alongside these, he contributes to LocalLing, a Horizon-funded initiative to preserve and strengthen heritage and minority languages globally.
In addition to the above, Achilleas is the (co)editor-in-chief of the newly established European Journal of Education and Language Review, and welcomes contributions that explore the dynamic intersections between language, education, and society.
About this post
This blog is a space for slow, reflective thinking about applied linguistics language education, professional development, and the role of technology in language teaching and learning. Transparency about process, tools, and authorship is part of that commitment.
- I wrote this post on 23 September 2023. The post was archived on 6th February 2026.
- The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Thessaly or any other entity with which I am affiliated.
- The featured image is shared with a license from Adobe Stock.
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