The goal of this group is to carry out research on discourses and practices in the field of teaching and learning foreign languages in Colombia to expand our knowledge on the area, to propose educational innovations, and to impact the academic and linguistic policies in primary and middle school, undergraduate, and postgraduate programs, as well as in continuing education training programs for work and teaching. This way, we intend to establish a link between research and teaching/learning, and between the university and the community. We are focused on the following areas: professional development, curriculum, reading and writing, autonomy, linguistic policies, critical pedagogy, and evaluation. We are guided by values such as respect, democracy, cooperation, transparency, equity, critical conscience, and responsibility.
Research Lines and/or Areas
The autonomy of the student and teacher in the domain of teaching/learning foreign languages.
Evaluating learnings in foreign languages.
Initial training and professional development of foreign language teachers in Colombia.
Linguistic policies and educational reform in Colombia.
ICT and learning/teaching foreign languages.
Critical perspectives on languages education.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Group Coordinator
Diana Patricia Pineda Montoya, PhD.
PhD. in Teaching, Learning, and Culture.
University of Texas at El Paso, United States.
M.Sc. in Linguistics Applied to Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
Interinstitutional Network on Linguistic and Educational Policies and Practices for Diversity and Interculturality (Red Interinstitucional en Políticas y Prácticas Lingüísticas y Educativas para la Diversidad y la Interculturalidad—REDPoliDiversa). Comprised by: Universidad de Antioquia, Universidad del Valle, Universidad de Sucre, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad del Bosque, and Universidad del Cauca.
Universidad EAFIT.
LICOTIC Group, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Azcapotzalco, Mexico.
Bilingualism Research Group (Grupo de Investigación en Bilingüismo—GIB), Universidad del Quindío.
Languages Department, Universidad de Cuenca, Ecuador.
Highlighted Projects
The role of participatory action research in appropriating the PIFLE-I evaluation system (Nov 2020-present).
Coping and Innovating: A Class-Based Analysis of the Impacts of COVID-19 on Colombian High Schools. Funded by Universidad de Antioquia, Program Call 2019-2020: Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Area (2021-present).
Understanding Marginalized Youth’s Secondary Education Experiences: A Mixed-methods Study of Colombia, India, and Malawi. Funded by the Spencer Foundation (2020-Dec 2021).
Languages for permanence: A proposal from critical interculturality. Funded by Universidad de Antioquia (2020-present).
GCRF Development Award: Languaging in post-conflict zones: Educating for success in Colombia, Lebanon and South Africa. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK(Jul 2019-Jan 2021).
Key Research Findings
Teacher and portfolio in the consolidation of a culture of evaluation as learning. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal.
Teaching English from a Critical Intercultural Perspective: An experience with Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Students. In Y. Bayyurt (Ed.) Bloomsbury World Englishes. Volume 3: Pedagogies. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. UK. Book. ISBN: 978-1-3500-6591-8
Critical Intercultural Dialogue opening new paths to internationalisation in HE: Repositioning local languages and cultures in foreign language policies. In U. Lundgren, P. Castro and J. Woodin (Eds.), Educational Approaches to Internationalisation through Intercultural Dialogue: Reflections on Theory and Practice London: Routledge. ISBN: 9780367001469
Bilingual Kids Seed Program—Kindergarten, Primary School [Didactic material]. Materials design, Bilingual Seed Program for the Software Valley.
Services and/or Products Portfolio
Provision of academic support to the Universidad de Antioquia’s Examination Unit in the design of communication competence certification tests in various languages.
Implementation of courses for training foreign language teachers in pedagogical and curricular aspects.
Construction of curricular proposals for teaching foreign languages from an intercultural perspective.
Consultancy in the construction and evaluation of public policies and educational programs at the national, local, and institutional levels.
Support in the construction of teacher training and professional development programs.
Consultancy for curricular renovation processes for educative institutions, schools, and higher education institutions.
