Every so often I find myself with a handful of small updates: a colleague’s milestone, a call for papers, a blog post that sparked more reaction than expected. None of these really justify a full post in their own right, but taken together they capture something of the rhythm of academic life: the conversations, the projects, the steady background of work that often goes unnoticed. What follows, then, is less a news item than a set of notes to self (and perhaps to colleagues), a way of making visible the kinds of things that have been keeping me occupied.
Celebrating success
I think that the highlight of this last month was the opportunity to take part in Marc Jones’ doctoral examination, at the TU Dortmund University of Technology. I have known Marc for a long time, and he has consistently impressed me with how original his thinking is and how passionate he can become about the topics he studies.
Marc’s thesis, entitled Investigating factors that influence English L2+ perceptual vowel acquisition: modality, speaker, and feedback, brought together a wide range of data that he collected in several studies focusing on phonology. A lot of his work has appeared in peer reviewed journals, and more is in the pipeline. I won’t be accused of spoilers in this space, but one of his most interesting finding is that being exposed to a variety of World Englishes does not make learning slower or less effective. This is an important insight with multiple political and ideological implications.
What is interesting about the German doctoral defense system is that candidates don’t only have to defend their doctoral research; they also need to defend two related theses (‘thesis’, in this context, roughly means ‘position statements’). For his second thesis, Marc made a number of very insightful comments what it means to be a language teacher with ADHD (I had never realised that as many as one in 14 teachers are in this category!). And then, for his third one, he presented a very powerful argument about the value of duoethnographic work as a way to study aspects of language teaching.
There are few aspects of academic life more rewarding than working with bright intellects, and few moments that compare with congratulating a colleague on the completion of such a momentous journey. I feel proud and honoured to have been part of this.
My Latest Work
Not having to teach over the summer meant that I managed to make some good progress across a range of projects:
ReaLiTea
We have nearly completed the self-study materials we have been working on for the Research Literacy of Teachers (ReaLiTea), and I am looking forward to sharing them in a few weeks time. One of the things I am most proud of is that we also included materials that challenge colonial perspectives in research and encourage innovative ways of sharing research findings. Julian Edge, one of my maîtres à penser had once said that I teach best at the top of the curve (I am not sure if this was meant as a compliment), and I consistently get feedback that I have too high expectations from my students. I will readily admit that some of these materials will take some readers outside their comfort zone, but I believe most meaningful learning takes place there.
By the way, we also have created a digital space for discussing ongoing research and exchanging ideas. Everyone is welcome to join us!
AI for Language Education
In the last few months we have been working hard on preparing a set of guidelines for using artificial intelligence in language education. I feel blessed to have a strong team of senior and junior colleagues working on this project, and our draft document reflects their strengths. We are planning to present a draft at our upcoming workshop, which will take place in Graz in 25th and 26th November. If you’d like to join us, you can contact your local national nominating authorities for details about the selection process and funding.
You can find out more about this project by tuning in at the European Parliament radio on 26 September (more details TBC), who will be interviewing our project member Aleksandra Ljalikova. This promises to be very interesting!
LocaLLing
I’m also thrilled that we are about to begin a new project, called Revitalisation of Linguistic Diversity and Cultural Heritage (LocalLing). This project involves collaboration with a range of universities world wide, from Tallinn to Sri Lanka and Colombia. In the project, we work towards better understanding how to strengthen heritage and minoritised languages, develop the capacity of our global partners to support such languages, and learn from their efforts. Exciting times ahead!
Empowering Language Teachers through Research Literacy
That’s the title of the book I am co-editing with Christina Ringel and Kenan Dikilitaş. This project is in a lull at the moment, as we are waiting for our chapter contributors to send in their work. However, I am happy to say that I managed to finish my own single-authored chapter, which will focus on teachers’ writing, or professional knowledge production. The truth is, I was very apprehensive about this, because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write, or how, before I began (sometimes you submit an aspirational abstract and hope you’ll figure things out later). However, once I actually began writing, things flowed well – and I am actually very happy with what has shaped up to be a very original, and somewhat philosophically informed, discussion of how teachers can share their insights.
Calls for papers on AI in Language Education
A number of publishing opportunities crossed my radar over the last few weeks, which may be of interest to colleagues. Two of them invite us to reflect on how AI is reshaping language education, albeit from somewhat different vantage points:
- Critical AI Literacy in Language Education (Language Learning Journal, Taylor & Francis)
This special issue seeks contributions that explore how learners and teachers engage critically with AI, not only as a tool but as a cultural and political phenomenon. The editors are keen to receive papers on the pedagogical approaches that move beyond technical skills, fostering awareness of bias, ethics, and the broader implications of AI in society. More details here → - Generative AI and Speaking Skills (Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, Castledown)
Focusing more narrowly, this call looks at how generative AI technologies might support (or complicate) the development of speaking skills. Submissions may address areas such as feedback, fluency, pronunciation, and learner autonomy in AI-mediated oral practice. More details here →
Both look like promising opportunities, if anyone has work on AI and Language education that you’d like to share. By the way, if you are new to academic publishing, the following post might be able to answer some of your questions.
From the blog
I tend to be more active on the blog in the summer, and the truth is, I find it very rewarding to write about things that interest me in an unmediated way (as opposed to publishing the kinds of things that we are expected to publish as academics).
This included work prompted by my work on AI and research literacy as well as an series of posts on the ideological dimension of language education, where I looked at how classroom practice and research are shaped by underlying assumptions about language, learning, and society. If you enjoy reading such content, you can take a look below.
I’ve also been experimenting with different ways of using this space —hence today’s omnibus post. These quieter notes, though less polished, feel closer to the reality of academic life than the headline announcements.
What do you think about this format? Do you find such posts useful, or would you prefer single-topic updates?
Reading & more
It’s one of the ironies of academic life that most of us chose to become academics because we enjoy reading, and the pace of life in modern neoliberal universities leaves very little time for reading. Some of the new ideas I came across over the last few months included the following:
Liquid Languages
This blog post (based on the book Liquid Languages, by B. Schneider, now in my wishlist) challenges the idea of languages as fixed, bounded systems. Rather than universal categories, stable “languages” emerge under specific historical conditions (print culture, nationalism, colonialism). The piece invites us to rethink language not as a given, but as a socially constructed and contingent practice.
How Universities Die
One book I really enjoyed reading was Dark Academia: How Universities Die, by Peter Fleming, a critical look at higher education reform and the future of universities. This is a deeply unsettling description of how the rise of performance metrics, managerialism and commercialisation are eroding the ideals of higher education As Greece is in the process of reforming the higher education sector, such a description seemed very timely and depressing.
World Englishes from a Complexity Perspective
I was also intrigued by Edgar Schneider’s new book entitled World Englishes as Components of a Complex Dynamic System. I have a long-standing interest in complexity thinking, so was curious to see how Schneider brings his long-standing expertise in World Englishes into dialogue with it. What I find particularly valuable in Schneider’s work is how it shows complexity thinking not as an abstract philosophical stance, but as a practical framework for making sense of language change, variation, and hybridity. While his theoretical scaffolding could be stronger, the book demonstrates how ideas like emergence, self-organisation, and non-linearity resonate with lived linguistic realities. For me, that is precisely where complexity earns its keep: not in elegant models, but in offering a shared metalanguage that allows researchers, teachers, and learners to discuss language in ways that capture its fluidity.
Transepistemic Language Education
The last item in this list is not a book: it’s Paul Meighan’s recent article on Transepistemic Language Education, which appeared in The Modern Language Journal. A transepistemic perspective, Meighan explains is “a way of learning, teaching, knowing and being that fosters respectful and non-hierarchical co-creation of knowledge across languages, peoples cultures and lands” (p. 3). This is a very appealing alternative to western-based and colonial perspectives, but I am still struggling to better understand what it entails in practical terms (any insights are very welcome).
I am somewhat uneasy about what such a seductively promising outlook, which involves understanding links between peoples, lands and languages connects nationalist discourses from the 19th and early 20th centuries. There are obvious connections here with Humboldt’s ideas about the Weltansicht, or ‘world-view’ that different people allegedly have; and even more obvious ones with Herbart’s attempt to conceptually unify people, land and state. To be clear, I am not saying that Meighan’s writing is nationalist; but we have seen repeatedly how extremists have readily co-opted those aspects of academic work that suit their agenda, and I think we need to be very cautious.
By the way, if you’ve happened to read any of the above, I’d be interested to hear your take —especially if you disagreed with mine ;)
Behind the scenes
Much of what fills my days rarely makes it to the blog. In between the more visible milestones, there are long stretches of project meetings, manuscript reviews, and exchanges with students that keep me grounded in the work of language education.
Letters of recommendation…
At the moment, my inbox is flooded with requests for letters of recommendation. I am happy to write these, as they remind me of the highlights of my work with each student, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the sheer number of the requests, and the awkwardness of turning down those students for whom I cannot honestly write a strong recommendation does take a toll on me. I’m not sure how others approach this situation — if you’d like to share your thoughts, I’d love to know.
One recent interaction stands out in my memory: this was about a student who was switching courses, after spending a year in a programme that proved to be a less-than-perfect fit for them. Their grades had been mediocre, they felt too embarrassed to ask for help when it would have made a difference, and they were feeling shame for failing their and their parents expectations. This is a surprisingly common scenario, especially among very capable students. It took a lot of work to convince them that changing a direction was a courageous move that commanded my respect, and that I felt nothing but admiration for someone who was strong enough to make an honest self-appraisal and act on it.
…and some broader remarks
In the end, what matters is not the seamlessness of one’s path but the ability to recognise when a course is misaligned with one’s strengths and aspirations, and to make the difficult choice to pivot. I sometimes think these moments of redirection are among the most important parts of education —they teach resilience, self-knowledge, and the value of authenticity in a way that no tidy transcript ever could.
Encounters like this remind me that academic work is never just about grades or CV lines. Letters of recommendation are really about stories: stories of potential, resilience, and sometimes of detours that matter as much as straightforward success.
Looking ahead
As the teaching semester is about to start, I find myself thinking of the lyrics of that old Sinatra song: It’s a long, long way from May to December / But the days grow short when you reach September… But there are a number of exiting things to look forward, and I will try to keep this space updated as they take place.
I am scheduled to be in Graz for the ECML-funded workshop on CLIL teaching materials for developing 21st century competences next week. Then in late September, I will be delivering a guest lecture at the Catholic Teachers Academy of Linz. I have one more appearance scheduled in the LCRGrad2025 conference in October. If you happen to be in any of these events, do say hi!
So, I guess that’s it from me. I’ll share more here as the semester unfolds —and I’d be curious to hear what your September looks like too!
About me
Achilleas Kostoulas is an applied linguist and language teacher educator working at the University of Thessaly in Greece. He also contributes to the Language Education for Refugees and Migrants MA programme at the Hellenic Open University. His academic credentials include a PhD and MA in TESOL, from the University of Manchester (UK) and a BA in English Studies from the University of Athens (Greece).
In his teaching capacity, he works with pre- and in-service teachers to develop critical understandings of language teaching and linguistics, and to empower them through research literacy. His research encompasses aspects of language teaching and learning, multilingualism, language policy and ideology and AI supported language education, often seen through the lens of Complex Dynamics Systems Theory.
Some of his recent publications include the research monograph The Intentional Dynamics of TESOL (2021; with Juup Stelma) and the edited collection Doctoral Study and Getting Published (2025; with Richard Fay).
About this post
I published this post on 9 September 2025. The content of this post does not represent the views of the University of Thessaly or any other entity with which I am affiliated. The featured image, by macrowildlife @ Adobe Stock is used with license.
Frequently asked questions
Why bundle several updates into one post?
I felt that not every update warrants a full article, and posting more frequent updates would overwhelm readers who follow this blog by email updates. Also, this format seems closer to the old blogging style. Over time, blogs have become like libraries of content, aimed for Search Engine Optimisation. This kind of format sounds more authentic to me.
Where can I find your more in-depth posts?
If you enjoy this format, more such posts will be grouped under the ‘News and Updates’ tag. You can find this at the top of the page, right under the post summary. I am not sure how often such posts will appear, but I am aiming for about one every two or three months.
More focused posts, on the other hand, are generally grouped under different categories under the Resources tab in the menu.
Can I share my own news with you?
Absolutely! If you have a new book or are planning an event that may be of interest, feel free to share it with me, and I will try to include it in the next post.
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