LINKS BETWEEN BELIEFS AND LANGUAGE (click to view)
Volume 2024-1(11), 169 pages
* Intro
* Contents
* Authors
* Reviewers
Verbalising the un-verbalised
The key assumption which led to the construction of this volume is twofold: its first thread is that there is a strong link between beliefs and language, and its second facet is that this link and our linguistic beliefs needs to be constantly challenged. Fundamental as it may sound, the relationship between language and beliefs is hardly ever discussed, with various communities and circles rather sharing approach to the issue in question (without ever verbalizing it) and viewing language, its presence and applications, from a similar perspective. This form of tacit agreement with regard to what we think of language is undoubtedly detrimental to the linguistic development of teachers and students who unconsciously become fixed in their linguistic outlook. And yet, when we think of it, the link in question opens up numerous questions worth examining, which can be classified as pertaining to connections (e.g. What is first – language or beliefs?), systems (e.g. To what extent is the axiological side of language taken into account by different educational systems around the globe?), domains (e.g. How do our linguistic beliefs relate to our language skills and to our overall linguistic success?), and disciplines (e.g. Which theories address the axiological dimension of language learning and use? or – very importantly from the perspective of empirical studies aimed at with the volume – Which methodologies to apply for studies of the language-and-beliefs link?)..
From the wider perspective and the trajectory of the volume as a whole, in the currently undertaken Cycle 2 the focus on beliefs follows that on affect, which we devoted two last year’s volumes to. There are numerous benefits to be observed thought such continuance, including that we can better understand the way affect and beliefs co-exist and co-determine each other, but also the major difference between the two on the level of methodological availability: whist affect required us to employ methods and terminology which is not within an easy reach of, say, language teachers, beliefs appear to be far more readily verifiable and subject to observable changes. Beliefs can indeed be formulated rather directly, as opposed to affect, which remains well hidden, so to speak, and calls for the use of advanced technology to be properly examined. And yet, many language specialists and teachers might be inclined to say that it is beliefs that determine it all: whether and how you study and apply languages rests strongly on what you think of its importance, what you specifically find of interest in it, what your view of grammatical constructions is, what range of vocabulary you see as vital etc. In school settings all these issues have a bilateral character and it is far from being obvious (or perhaps even advisable) that students hold the same linguistic beliefs as their teachers..
There are two crucial aspects of this year’s focus being laid on the dimension of beliefs: the first is that by addressing them, we reach to the genesis of the entire ERL framework, which initially started off with prioritising the thread named ‘the potential of language for general education’, resting heavily on such conceptual axiological categories as views, importance, priority, opinions, significance etc. related to language. In other words, it is the fundamental belief that language underlies our entire education that gave rise to the set of developments headed as the ‘educational role of language’ (being so fundamental and primary that even some professors are known to have disregarded the issue as too obvious to be bothered by!). And the second facet which the 2024 focus most significantly brings to light is that of language positioning as a notion which captures well the fact that each student as well as each teacher locates language(s) within their personal realm of values, which determines what and how they teach and learn practically any subject matter. The notion of language positioning is yet to be extensively developed within the current ERL cycle as it pertains not only to beliefs, but also affect, actions, and thinking, although on the axiological level it appears to be more straightforward than in the other three domains.
For the sake of consistence and easy presentation this volume’s structure is partially analogous to that of Volume 9, which was the first 2023 volume pertaining to affect. Accordingly, it comprises two parts – Part 1. Focusing on beliefs, where we have included papers aimed predominantly at the recognition and empirical verification of attitudes, beliefs, and convictions, and Part 2. Capitalising on beliefs, which is more active or practice-oriented, with papers outlining various applications of beliefs-oriented theories and studies. As usual, the volume is complemented with short texts that are not strict empirical or theoretical papers – this time we include two reports: one on our last ERL Conference, held at the International University of Sarajevo on the very same theme as this volume’s title, and the second one on a workshop carried out during that conference and pertaining to the zones of interculturality. Apart from their subject matter itself, these two reports point out to this year’s two conference additions – joint interdisciplinary projects initiated at the ERL conference and practical workshops conducted during the event on an issue closely linked to the conference theme, too. As many of the texts published in this very volume stem from the last ERL conference, our readers will be able to become familiar with the way our framework proceeds and with the highly engrossing set of issues discussed at the event and constituting substance of great ERL projects.
FOCUSING ON BELIEFS
FULL Article (PDF)
2. Zahra Sadat Roozafzai – Language and education in migration policy: the inter-state model
FULL Article (PDF)
3. Tamara Tamás – Secondary students’ beliefs about English L2 speaking fluency
4. Ana Mršić Zdilar – Attitudes towards English language learning in higher education
FULL Article (PDF)
CAPITALISING ON BELIEFS
8. Ana Maria F. Barcelos – The relationship between beliefs and practice in language teaching education
12. Zlatan Bejdić – Language, belief, and cultural resilience: Rastafarian discourse in Britain
13. Leah Davcheva – Linguistic identity play in zones of interculturality
List of Volume 2023-1(9) Authors
List of Volume 2023-1(9) Reviewers
Ashima Arora orcid.org/0009-0007-5079-2738: INDIA, Department of English, School of Language, Literature and Arts, Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, Sanchi, Raisen, (M.P). She has completed her postgraduate studies in English Literature from Barkatullah University, Bhopal, M.P. Her areas of interest are Commonwealth Literature, Environmental Studies and Indian Literary Theories. She takes part in research conferences/seminars/workshops and presents her research papers in various national and international seminars. aroraaashima95@gmail.com
Ana Maria F. Barcelos orcid.org/0000-0002-2218-5582: BRAZIL, Federal University of Viçosa, Languages Department. She holds a PhD from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA. Her research interests are language learning beliefs and how they relate to actions, emotions, and identities in the social context of language learning and teaching. More recently she has been investigating the role of pedagogical love in language learning and teaching. She has co-edited books on beliefs and narratives and published widely on the same topic and on language teacher emotions. anamfb@ufv.br
Zlatan Bejdic orcid.org/0009-0003-7604-1714: SPAIN, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, English Literature Department. He is currently pursuing doctorate studies in English literature. He holds a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Sarajevo and a Bachelor’s degree in Production and Management from the Academy of Performing Arts Sarajevo. His work experience spans from online English tutoring to freelance language interpreting and translation. He is also actively engaged in creative endeavors, including writing a novel and involvement in multimedia projects promoting social change. zbejdic@ucm.es
Leah Davcheva orcid.org/0000-0002-9360-203X: BULGARIA, AHA MOMENTS, Intercultural Learning, Solutions Focus & Host Leadership. Leah Davcheva is the founder and director of AHA moments – Centre for Interculturality, Solutions Focus, and Host Leadership. She is an international trainer, coach, researcher, and (co-) author of books, articles and learning materials. Leah has contributed to and was instrumental in building up the foundations of intercultural education and intercultural communication training in Bulgaria. She has hosted a range of intercultural projects and has published extensively on the topic. Leah works with individuals, teams, companies, and organizations to help them overcome hardships and make progress. When appropriate, she uses the Solutions Focus approach – an inclusive way toward building positive change. Host Leadership, Diversity Icebreaker, and Accelerated Learning are also tools she uses in her work. leah.davcheva@gmail.com
Emina Jelešković orcid.org/0000-0001-8438-829X: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, International University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Emina Jelešković is a lecturer at the English Language and Literature program. Her key interests are education, linguistics and translation studies. She has been involved in several projects, including: IUS Youth Conference, ECML’s project on developing competences for democratic culture for young learners through language education and a project on the international cooperation between higher education institutions. ejeleskovic@ius.edu.ba
Jens Skarherud Haugan orcid.org/0000-0001-9708-2038: NORWAY, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Education, Department of Humanities. PhD (doctor artium) in Norwegian/Nordic linguistics. Working as a docent with research mainly related to the role of Nynorsk (‘New Norwegian’) in education and society. Main research association and network: Educational Role of Language. jens.haugan@inn.no
Nejla Kalajdžisalihović orcid.org/0000-0002-9743-8759: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Philosophy. Nejla Kalajdžisalihović is an Associate Professor at the University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of English Language and Literature (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina). She has published (as an author or a co-author) more than 25 papers in different local and international journals and 3 books (Primjena lingvističkih znanja u atribuciji i usporedbi autorstva: prilog teoriji i praksi (2021), English in Aviation–A Content and Language Integrated Approach (2022) and Introduction to Psycholinguistics—Selected Readings (2023) with Aneta Naumoska). Nejla Kalajdžisalihović has also participated in several projects coordinated by the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) (Graz, Austria), as well as projects organized and co- ordinated by TPO Foundation and UNICEF. She is also a member of The Society for the Advancement of Applied Linguistics in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SAALinBiH) and the Society for the Study of English in Bosnia and Herzegovina. nejla.kalajdzisalihovic@ff.unsa.ba
Naveen K. Mehta orcid.org/0000-0001-7197-4214: INDIA, Department of English, School of Language, Literature and Arts in Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, Sanchi, Raisen, (M.P). He is UGC-NET and SLET qualified as well as triple postgraduate in English Literature, Education and Business Management awarded double Ph.D.s in English Literature and Management. He has been honored by the Prime Minister of India and Ministry of Human Resource Development of India in 2000. He successfully completed courses of professional development and awarded certificates of achievement from MIT USA, Harvard University, USA University of Oxford, UK University of Cambridge, UK, etc. He has been awarded and adjudged more than 6 times as the best paper presenter on varied topics related to language, literature, management and education in the international seminars/conferences of repute. Under his supervision 8 students have been awarded Ph.D./M.Phil. He has authored 190+ research papers/articles on English Literature, Language, Education and Management related themes. He has published 15 books. naveen.mehta@subis.edu.in
Ana Mršić Zdilar orcid.org/ 0000-0003-1692-2619: CROATIA, University of Split, Faculty of Science. She currently holds a lecturer position with the Faculty of Science, University of Split, Republic of Croatia, within the Independent Chair for Humanities and Social Sciences of said Faculty. She teaches courses English for Specific Purposes at the undergraduate level and Communication Skills at the undergraduate and graduate level. After a four-year study program, she graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split, Croatia, attaining a degree in English Language and Literature and Italian Language and Literature. She is also a prolific translator of professional and literary texts, books and textbooks, and a sworn court interpreter. amrsiczdi@pmfst.hr
Lejla Mulalić orcid.org/0000-0002-2798-8376: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Philosophy. Lejla Mulalić is an Associate Professor at the Department of English Language and Literature of the University of Sarajevo and her research interests include contemporary British and Scottish novel, historical novel, vulnerability studies and ethics of care. She is the author of a monograph on the historical novel titled Putevi historije u savremenom britanskom romanu (Sarajevo, 2021) and more than 15 articles in local and international academic journals. From 2020 Lejla Mulalić has been a member of the coordinating team of the Peace Education Hub at the University of Sarajevo – Faculty of Philosophy (https://peacehub.ba/) where she has so far actively participated in organizing four Peace Pedagogy Summer Schools, numerous webinars and other activities with the aim of bringing together formal and informal education in order to spread the culture of peace in and outside of the classroom. She is a member of the Society for the Study of English in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Society for the Advancement of Applied Linguistics in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SAALinBiH) and the International Association for the Study of Scottish Literatures (IASSL). lejla.mulalic@ff.unsa.ba
Almasa Mulalić orcid.org/0000-0002-8173-895X: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, International University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Education. Almasa Mulalić is an accomplished scholar, currently serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Education at the International University of Sarajevo. With a background in Applied Linguistics, she holds the title of Associate Professor, reflecting her expertise and contributions to the field. Her extensive publication record includes authored and edited books, book chapters, and scientific research papers published in reputable journals. She has also been actively involved in scientific projects, demonstrating a commitment to advancing knowledge in her field. In addition to her research endeavors, Dr. Mulalić is dedicated to academic service. She has played crucial roles in committees for conference preparation, scholarship exams, and postgraduate studies. amulalic@ius.edu.ba
Melisa Okičić orcid.org/0000-0003-2758-0925: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Philosophy Melisa Okičić is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her research interests include English for Specific Purposes (ESP), English for Academic Purposes (EAP), and Second Language Acquisition. For many years, she has focused on exploring ESP, particularly the legal English used within European Union institutions (Euro-English). Recently, her research has shifted towards EAP, with an emphasis on understanding the intercultural challenges in teaching students the culture of academic thinking and writing. Through her work, she aims to improve pedagogical methods that facilitate the acquisition of academic English in diverse cultural contexts. Melisa.Okicic@ff.unsa.ba
Zahra Sadat Roozafzai orcid.org/0000-0001-8376-6818: IRAN, ECECR Institute of Higher Education-Isfahan, Humanities. She holds a PhD in English Applied Linguistics with a focus on TEFL. She also pursues studies in Humanities within an academic context in Europe. Her research primarily focuses on exploring various dimensions of language and its impact on communication, particularly within the realm of applied linguistics. With a solid background in English language studies, she aims to integrates her knowledge of linguistic theories with practical applications, offering applied insights into the dynamics of communication. She is dedicated to investigating the intricate relationship between language, mind, culture, and institutions in the society. Her research aims to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and their real-world implications, particularly in the context of language teaching and learning. Additionally, her work in communication emphasizes the importance of effective communication strategies in diverse linguistic and cultural settings. Zahra80r@gmail.com
Vesna Suljić orcid.org/0000-0002-6098-7906: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, International University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Assistant Professor Vesna Suljić, Coordinator of English Language and Literature Program, teaches literature courses in BA, MA and PhD study cycles. She is the author of Creative Writing: Experimental and Experiential textbook (2022). She has translated several books and plays into Bosnian and/or English, edited and translated a three-language (English-Bosnian- Turkish) poetry collection of contemporary Australian and New Zealand poets Close Encounters of the Poetic Kind (2024) together with Mehtap Özer-Isović (Turkish translator). vsuljic@ius.edu.ba
Tamara Tamás orcid.org/0009-0006-7729-2963: HUNGARY, University of Szeged. She is a PhD student in the English Applied Linguistics program. Her main interests are alternative approaches to second language acquisition, in particular conversation analysis and complex dynamic systems theory, interactional fluency, and individual differences in language learning. tomitami92@gmail.com
Simran Yadav orcid.org/0009-0009-6620-6873: INDIA, Department of English, School of Language, Literature and Arts in Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, Sanchi, Raisen, (M.P). She has completed her postgraduate studies in English Literature from SUBIS, Sanchi, (M.P). and completed her M.Phil. as well. She regularly takes part in research workshops/ seminars/conferences and presents her research papers in various seminars of national and international repute. She is adjudged with the Best Paper Presenter Award in the 10th International Conference held at VSOM, Indore. ysimran365@gmail.com
Vesna Bogdanović (Serbia, University of Novi Sad)
Gabriela Chmelíková (Slovakia, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava)
Jurga Cibulskienė (Lithuania, Vilnius University)
Irem Comoglu (Turkey, Dokuz Eytul University)
Georgi Dimitrov (Bulgaria, University of National and World Economy)
Veronique Duché (Australia, The University of Melbourne)
Antonia Estrela (Portugal, Higher School of Education of the Polytechnic School of Lisbon)
Abha Gupta (Virginia, Old Dominion University)
Yasunari Harada (Japan, Wesada University)
Ana Jovanović (Serbia, University of Belgrade)
Małgorzata Karczewska (Poland, University of Zielona Góra)
Irene Krasner (Califirnia, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language School)
Valerija Križanić (Croatia, University of Osijek)
Colin Lankshear (Australia, James Cook University, Mount St Vincent University and McGill University)
Ana Mirosavljević (Croatia, University of Slavonski Brod)
Chahrazad Mouhoubi-Messadh (Algiers, University of Algiers)
Zakaria Othmane (Morocco, Mohammed V University of Rabat)
Danica Pirsl (Serbia, University of Nis)
Eva Reid (Slovakia, Comenius University in Bratislava)
Alina Resceanu (Romania, University of Craiova)
Nektarios Stellakis (Greece, University of Patras)
Alina Tenescu (Romania, University of Craiova)
Robert P. Yagelski (USA, University at Albany, SUNY)