Table of contents

From the Editor’s desk – Lynn Williams Leppich

Psychological insights are increasingly shaping English Language Teaching (ELT), offering powerful tools for understanding and supporting how learners think, feel and grow. Drawing on fields like neuroscience, metacognition and educational psychology, teachers can better address learner motivation, emotional intelligence and resilience, factors that directly influence progress and persistence. An awareness of learner diversity and individual cognitive styles helps create more inclusive, adaptive classrooms where students feel seen and empowered. As we continue to explore the intersection and interplay of mind, emotion and language learning, psychology offers a rich foundation for more responsive, human-centred pedagogy in ELT.

For our feature interview, I was privileged to learn from Prof. Kathy Rastle about the challenges faced by beginning readers in English and how explicit instruction on morphology can be instrumental in helping them progress. Later in the Journal, Aditi Dar, one of our most recent recruits to the Journal team, shares further psychological insights into areas teachers should know about as well as related techniques for the classroom.

Understanding essential psychological principles can support our ELT work in many ways. Dina Blanco-Ioannou, an ETAS member for an impressive two decades and our new Teacher Trainer and Educator SIG coordinator, engages with principles of positive psychology to suggest how we can flourish in the classroom. A little later in this issue, Gabrielle Girau Pieck’s article nicely complements this with practical classroom insights into work with learners in the areas of mindset, flow and presence. A third article in the area of learner comfort sees author team Josiane Block and Sean Fenech convinced that addressing poetry through art can ease learners into engaging with and enjoying poetic forms. In a further article exploring issues around motivation, Jeremy Phillips explores the power of gamification for developing learner interest.

Of course, wellbeing in education matters just as much for teachers as for learners. In this vein, we are happy to publish pieces by Jason Chan, Eleonore Lemmerich and Winnie Pui on resilience in ELT, Daniel Xerri on countering burnout and supporting teacher retention by means of “small wins”, and Gina Rodriguez on how to ensure that keeping up with your professional social media doesn’t overwhelm you.

Winnie Pui returns in another article, this time written with two teachers “at the chalkface”, to discuss teacher perceptions and emotions around native speakerism, the belief or bias that teachers who are native speakers of a language are inherently more qualified or effective than non-native speakers, an attitude which can lead to inequality and discrimination in language education.

In support of striving for equity in education and responding to differing learner needs, we share work currently being undertaken by researcher-practitioners Samiha Elsayed Salem, who powerfully argues for the sensitive treatment of learners traumatized by events outside their control, and Alsu Hug of PH St Gallen, who explores the relationship between emotions and Extramural English (EE).

Lastly, as always, we also bring you highlights from our most recent national event, the Professional Development Day which took place in early September. Deputy Editor Olivier Moreillon reports on the inspiring plenary given by Herbert Puchta on the subject of expert language users. Read on to also survey our workshop write-ups by ETAS Secretary Anna Boyko, long-standing member Dorinda Maio-Phillips and Pearson consultant Mary Schnueriger on topics including empowering learners, positive group dynamics and what personalization can add to your classroom. Ridha Mejri gets to grips with the question of the teacher’s role in an age when AI can do so much and Ian McMaster explores strategies for enhancing international business communication. We also share an interview by committed Journal team member Helena Fernandes with long-time member Catherine Shultis, where Catherine shares insights into her recent sabbatical in Japan. And the ETAS Journal wouldn’t be complete without an update from Publications Chair Carol Waites on her inspiring t2t project in Kenya as well as a call to action for possible future initiatives.

We hope you enjoy your winter Journal!

Lynn Williams