DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14483/22487085.22249Published:
2025-07-07Issue:
Vol. 27 No. 1 (2025): CALJ: january-juneSection:
Theme ReviewThe Applied Linguistics and Peacebuilding in Colombian English Teachers’ Master’s Theses
A Focus on Criticality
La lingüística aplicada y la construcción de paz en tesis de maestría de profesores de inglés colombianos
Keywords:
content analysis, critical applied linguistics, education for peace, English language teaching (en).Keywords:
análisis de contenido, educación para la paz, enseñanza del inglés, lingüística aplicada crítica (es).Downloads
Abstract (en)
This article presents a review from a social and critical perspective of applied linguistics (AL) within English language teaching (ELT) and how it relates to the notion of education for peace in Colombia. The review involved a content analysis of 27 master's theses authored by English language teacher-researchers. The study was situated within the MA program in AL at a public university and focused on examining the interplay between the critical dimension of AL and education for peace in the schools where these teacher-researchers taught. For the authors of these theses, the classroom served as a social and political stage where they conducted their pedagogical and research initiatives reported in their theses. The selection of the 27 theses was based on the critical notion of peace as an issue relevant to the social and critical dimension of AL. The research question used for the review is: How do master's theses within the framework of critical AL written by English language teacher-researchers relate to education for peace? The review yielded valuable insights in the form of an emerging theme about the relevance of critical applied linguistics in local settings. It also demonstrated the key role language plays in education for peace in promoting conflict resolution and encouraging social awareness in local spaces.
Abstract (es)
Este artículo revisa una perspectiva social y crítica de la lingüística aplicada (LA) a la enseñanza del inglés en relación con la noción de educación para la paz en Colombia. Para tal fin, se realizó un análisis de contenido de 27 tesis de maestría de profesores-investigadores de inglés. Este estudio se enmarca dentro del programa de maestría en LA de una universidad pública en Colombia. Su tema central es la interacción entre la dimensión crítica de la LA y la educación para la paz en las escuelas de los autores de las tesis como escenarios sociales y políticos donde llevaron a cabo sus iniciativas pedagógicas y de investigación reportadas en sus tesis. La selección de las 27 tesis tuvo como base la noción crítica de paz como un tema relevante para la perspectiva social y crítica de la LA. La pregunta de investigación utilizada para la revisión es: ¿cómo se relacionan las tesis de maestría enmarcadas en la LA crítica escritas por profesores-investigadores de inglés con la educación para la paz? La revisión arrojó valiosas perspectivas encapsuladas en un tema emergente sobre la relevancia de la LA crítica en entornos locales. También se muestra el papel clave del lenguaje en la educación para la paz para promover la resolución de conflictos y fomentar la conciencia social en los espacios locales.
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