My latest paper, co-authored with Marek Kiczkowiak, has just been published in the Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. In the paper we analysed ten of the largest ELT conferences in Europe over a ten year period, and examined the balance of ‘native’/’non native speaker’ representation among their plenary speakers. We also interviewed a number of conference organisers to understand the reasoning behind their selection of speakers. Key takeaways from the study are:

– 75% of all plenary speakers at ELT conferences we analysed were ‘native speakers.’
– 94% of all plenary speakers were white.
– ‘Colour-blind’ attitudes among conference organisers led to highly slanted representation in favour of white ‘native speakers,’ whereas more critically-aware attitudes led to greater balance in representation.

The results of this study make clear the impact of native-speakerism and related prejudices such as racism on ELT. As a field which is populated by a huge diversity of teachers from a variety of linguistic, national, cultural, and racial backgrounds, it is important that a similar plurality of voices is present in the public spaces where we discuss our work, our goals, and our methods. This is not only a problem in Europe – racial disparity is also an issue in the conferences of organisations such as AAAL, as shown in this paper, which inspired our study:

Bhattacharya, Usree, Lei Jiang, and Suresh Canagarajah. 2019. “Race, Representation, and Diversity in the American Association for Applied Linguistics.” Applied Linguistics, 1–7. doi:10.1093/applin/amz003

Taking a liberal, ‘colour blind’ approach, in which issues of representation are not considered, everyone is treated as an individual, and in which each speaker is invited based on a supposedly objective evaluation of their contributions to the field, does not seem to be an effective way to address this issue. Such an approach does not seem to guard against the biases which are rampant in ELT, and has instead led to a situation in which white ‘native speaker’ voices are by far the loudest. A more critical approach, in which conscious effort is made to include those currently excluded, therefore seems necessary. We hope that this message is taken to heart by conference organisers.

This is the first of what we hope will be a series of studies looking at conference speaker representation in different parts of the world. More to come!

Here’s the abstract for the paper:

The ideology of native speakerism and its effects on the professional lives of ‘native’ and ‘non-native speakers’ in English language teaching (ELT) have been widely documented. Nevertheless, little is known about the impact native speakerism might have on the selection of plenary speakers for ELT conferences. Hence, through the analysis of plenary line-ups of seven conferences in the EU and interviews with their organisers, this study aimed to explore whether ‘native’ and ‘non-native speakers’ were represented equally as plenary speakers. The results show that overall only 25 per cent of the 416 analysed plenary speaker line-ups were given by ‘non-native speakers’. At some conferences, over 80 per cent of all plenary speakers were ‘native speakers’. Apart from one conference organiser who highlighted that steps had been taken to ensure a more equal balance of speakers, the other organisers seemed not to place much importance on equal balance of ‘native’ and ‘non-native speakers’ when inviting plenary speakers, preferring a ‘colourblind’ approach. This study suggests native-speakerism impacts the choice of plenary speakers at certain ELT conferences, and that conscious efforts must be made to alter this balance.

Check out the full paper at this link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01434632.2021.1974464?src=&journalCode=rmmm20

Here is the reference data:

Marek Kiczkowiak & Robert J. Lowe (2021) Native-speakerism in English language teaching: ‘native speakers’ more likely to be invited as conference plenary speakers, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, DOI: 10.1080/01434632.2021.1974464

This month I have two new publications, co-authored with my colleagues Matthew Turner and Matthew Schaefer, with whom I produce the TEFLology Podcast.

Paper 1: Dialogic research engagement through podcasting

The first paper has the slightly unwieldy title of “Dialogic research engagement through podcasting as a step towards action research: A collaborative autoethnography of teachers exploring their knowledge and practice.” The paper is part of a special issue of the journal Educational Action Research on ‘Connecting Research and Practice for Professionals and Communities’ edited by Sal Consoli and Kenan Dikilitaş. This paper was actually published online in an advanced access form earlier this year, but has now been placed in an issue. Here is the abstract:

Research engagement and exploratory dialogue are central to forms of practitioner inquiry such as action research, in particular with regard to developing conceptual knowledge before action. Recently, practitioners have started engaging with technology such as podcasts as a way to facilitate opportunities for these focused interactions to take place. Framing this dialogue as a knowledge building activity, this paper uses a collaborative autoethnography method to explore the authors’ own experiences using a podcasting project to engage with research, and then enter into exploratory dialogues with one another. By reflecting on and analysing representative extracts from their ongoing podcasting project, the authors attempt to pinpoint how research engagement and exploratory dialogue through podcasting contributed to developments in thought and understanding around theoretical and pedagogical concepts related to ELT and applied linguistics. The authors hope that this paper will add credence to the use of podcasting as an option for language teachers’ independent professional development by demonstrating how the medium can support practitioners’ dialogic and collaborative reflection on theoretical and practical topics in the field, and the resultant effects of these activities on classroom practice.

Here is a link to the paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09650792.2021.1908905?journalCode=reac20

Here is the reference data: Lowe, R. J., Turner, M., & Schaefer, M. (2021). Dialogic research engagement through podcasting as a step towards action research: A collaborative autoethnography of teachers exploring their knowledge and practice. Educational Action Research, 29(3), 429-446. DOI: 10.1080/09650792.2021.1908905

Paper 2: Teacher Development through Podcast Engagement

The second paper is based on our presentation at the JALT 2021 National Convention, and is published in the post conference proceedings Communities of Teachers & Learners. The paper is titled “Teacher Development through Podcast Engagement.” Here is the abstract:

Professional development and community engagement are important parts of maintaining commitment in language teaching. Podcasting is emerging as a form of professional development and engagement with the English language teaching community, both through the production of podcasts themselves, and through participation as listeners. Drawing upon our experiences of creating a podcast, together with an examination of other podcasts in the field, this practically oriented paper will document and identify a range of innovative ways through which engagement with podcasts, by both producers and listeners, can contribute to teacher development. This paper will highlight how podcasts can instigate opportunities for reflective inquiry, aid communities of practice, and support efforts to negotiate practical and theoretical knowledge. After providing a definition of podcasts as a media format and describing their status in the language teaching field, the paper considers professional development opportunities which may be afforded by engagement with podcasts.

Here is a link to the paper: https://jalt-publications.org/articles/26674-teacher-development-through-podcast-engagement

Here is the reference data: Turner, M., Schaefer, M. & Lowe, R. J. (2021). Teacher development through podcast engagement. In P. Clements, R. Derrah, & R. Gentry (Eds.), Communities of teachers & learners. (pp.53-60). Tokyo: JALT. DOI: 10.37546/JALTPCP2020-07

In the last couple of days I’ve had two new book chapters published. Here are the references:

Lowe, R. J. & Mizukura, R. (2021). Japan: Forms and Functions of Shadow Education. In Y. C. Kim, & J. H. Jung (Eds.), Theorizing shadow education and academic success in East Asia: Understanding the meaning, value, and use of shadow education by East Asian students. (pp.122-140).Routledge.

Lowe, R. J., Schaefer, M. & Turner, M. (2021). Uncovering diverse perspectives and responses to working with English learners with special educational needs. In D. Banegas, G. Beacon, & M. Berbain (Eds.), International perspectives on diversity in ELT. (pp.229-245) Palgrave Macmillan.

Back in May I published a paper titled “Dialogic research engagement through podcasting as a step towards action research: A collaborative autoethnography of teachers exploring their knowledge and practice” along with my TEFLology Co-hosts Matthew Schaefer and Matthew Turner in the journal Educational Action Research. Here’s the abstract:

Research engagement and exploratory dialogue are central to forms of practitioner inquiry such as action research, in particular with regard to developing conceptual knowledge before action. Recently, practitioners have started engaging with technology such as podcasts as a way to facilitate opportunities for these focused interactions to take place. Framing this dialogue as a knowledge building activity, this paper uses a collaborative autoethnography method to explore the authors’ own experiences using a podcasting project to engage with research, and then enter into exploratory dialogues with one another. By reflecting on and analysing representative extracts from their ongoing podcasting project, the authors attempt to pinpoint how research engagement and exploratory dialogue through podcasting contributed to developments in thought and understanding around theoretical and pedagogical concepts related to ELT and applied linguistics. The authors hope that this paper will add credence to the use of podcasting as an option for language teachers’ independent professional development by demonstrating how the medium can support practitioners’ dialogic and collaborative reflection on theoretical and practical topics in the field, and the resultant effects of
these activities on classroom practice.

Link to the paper here: Dialogic research engagement through podcasting as a step towards action research: A collaborative autoethnography of teachers exploring their knowledge and practice: Educational Action Research: Vol 0, No 0 (tandfonline.com)

In July I also published a chapter title “Tackling Native-speakerism Through ELF-Aware Pedagogy” in the book Bloomsbury World Englishes Volume 3: Pedagogies, edited by Yasemin Bayyurt. I coauthored the chapter with Marek Kiczkowiak.

Like to the chapter here: Bloomsbury World Englishes Volume 3: Pedagogies: : Yasemin Bayyurt: Bloomsbury Academic

My latest paper has just been published online early access in the journal Language, Culture and Curriculum. Here is the abstract:

Critical English language teaching (ELT) research is expanding in scope, covering topics such as linguistic imperialism, native-speakerism, and the intersections between issues of race, class, and gender. With this expansion comes a requirement for robust and rigorous methods of data collection and analysis for researchers to employ. This article puts forward ‘frame analysis’ as a tool for analysing data in critical ethnography, particularly in ELT. Frame analysis is the systematic investigation of the organisational principles which people draw on in interpreting actions and events. After describing the conception of critical theory in which this discussion is situated, the paper gives a theoretical and overview of the concepts of ‘frames’ and ‘framing’, with a focus on social movement research. A step-by-step discussion is provided explaining how frame analysis can help to identify hidden ideologies in a research setting as a part of critical ethnography, before supplying a concrete example of data analysis using this approach. It is suggested that frame analysis may be a useful part of a critical ethnographer’s toolkit, particularly in terms of identifying hidden ideological assumptions in research setting.

To access the paper, click here: Frame analysis in critical ethnography: applications for ELT research: Language, Culture and Curriculum