Vol. 3 No Special Issue (2025): ELF and ELT: Facing the Challenges Ahead/ ILF e ELI: Encarando os Desafios que Vêm pela Frente

Since the processes of globalization have consolidated English as the primary international language, research on English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and its implications for English Language Teaching (ELT) has expanded significantly. A growing body of empirical studies, applied projects, teacher education initiatives, and international conferences has addressed the complex and often contested relationship between ELF, language norms, pedagogy, and assessment. Together, these contributions have established ELF research as a dynamic field that continues to offer crucial insights into how English is learned, taught, and used in increasingly multilingual and multicultural contexts.

This special issue of Paraguaçu brings together a diverse set of contributions that engage with some of the most pressing challenges currently facing ELF-informed ELT and Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE). The volume originates from the 14th International Conference on English as a Lingua Franca, held at Prague City University in September 2024, in a period marked by renewed international academic exchange following the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Its overarching aim is to advance ongoing scholarly debate and to deepen understanding of key, and in some cases still unresolved, issues in ELF research and pedagogy. These include the emergent and variable nature of ELF in classroom practice; the transcultural, multilingual, and multimodal dimensions of ELF in both face-to-face and digitally mediated learning environments; the relationship between ELF variation, learner “error,” and the assessment of communicative competence; and the evolving profile of the ELF-informed teacher of English.

A distinctive feature of this special issue is the dialogue it establishes between established and emerging voices in ELF studies. Four of the papers, authored by Yasemin Bayyurt and Martin Dewey, Lili Cavalheiro, Enrico Grazzi, and Sávio Siqueira, follow from a plenary panel convened by Enrico Grazzi at the 14th International Conference on English as a Lingua Franca. These contributions reflect mature theoretical engagement with ELF and address its implications for teacher professionalism, intercultural citizenship education, sociocultural theory, and decolonial perspectives on curriculum and policy. Complementing these studies, the remaining articles showcase the work of emerging scholars whose doctoral research exemplifies the evolving and interdisciplinary landscape of ELF studies. Together, these contributions foreground issues of ideology, material design, translanguaging practices, antiracist pedagogy, EMI contexts, and the role of human–AI interaction in raising ELF awareness.

By bringing these perspectives into conversation, the special issue seeks to bridge theory
and practice, responding to long-standing calls in second language teacher education (SLTE) to make scientific concepts meaningful and actionable for teachers. As Johnson and Golombek (2011) remind us, the responsibility of teacher education lies in connecting theory to teachers’ goal-directed activity and everyday professional knowledge. In this spirit, the articles collected here aim not only to advance scholarly discussion but also to support educators in navigating the pedagogical, ethical, and ideological challenges of teaching English in a rapidly changing global landscape.

Together, the contributions presented in this volume underscore the enduring relevance of ELF as a lens for understanding linguistic diversity, questioning normative assumptions, and fostering more inclusive, reflexive, and socially responsible approaches to English language education.

(Johnson, Karen E. e Golombek, Paula R. Eds. (2011). Research on Second Language Teacher Education. Nova York e Londres: Routledge).

Enrico Grazzi

Desde que o processo de globalização transformou o inglês na principal língua internacional, a pesquisa sobre o impacto do inglês como língua franca (ILF) no ensino de inglês (ELI) tem ganhado força. Até o momento, um número crescente de publicações acadêmicas, projetos aplicados, seminários e conferências internacionais tem se concentrado no papel controverso do ELF no desenvolvimento de uma segunda língua, mostrando que esta área em expansão de estudo provavelmente trará resultados interessantes.

Portanto, o principal objetivo deste número especial é engajar-se no debate científico atual sobre a formação de professores de segunda língua (SLTE) para estimular uma compreensão aprimorada de alguns dos aspectos mais relevantes e, até certo ponto, não resolvidos, a serem considerados, como: a) a natureza emergente do ELF na sala de aula de inglês; b) a dimensão transcultural e multilingue do ELF em projetos de aprendizagem mediados pela web; c) as variações do ELF em relação às normas padrão, erros e a avaliação das competências dos alunos; d) o perfil do professor de inglês informado pelo ELF.

Nossos ilustres autores internacionais estão aqui para trazer sua experiência e compartilhar as conquistas de seu trabalho recente. Isso deve fornecer ao leitor uma visão teórica mais aprofundada sobre o papel do ILF no ELI e receber críticas construtivas para enfrentar um futuro desafiador. Como sugerem Johnson e Golombek (2011, p. 2): "A responsabilidade da formação de professores de segunda língua, então, é apresentar conceitos científicos relevantes aos professores, mas fazer isso de maneiras que conectem esses conceitos à atividade prática concreta, ligando-os ao conhecimento cotidiano deles e à atividade orientada para objetivos do ensino."

(Johnson, Karen E. e Golombek, Paula R. Eds. (2011). Research on Second Language Teacher Education. Nova York e Londres: Routledge).