The decolonial option: implications for the curriculum of foreign language teacher education programs

Abstract

This reflection article derives from the discussions and argumentative sessions that took place at the heart of a doctoral seminar on Decolonial Theories. With this paper, the author intends a twofold purpose: on the one hand, to present his perceptions about the literature analyzed and discussed along the seminar, and on the other, to shed light on how such literature can have a positive impact on the curricula of Foreign Language Teacher Education Programs. The ideas that the author puts forward are the product of discussions with colleagues and teachers; in that sense, the arguments presented here are open to further scrutiny and academic dialogue with other scholars. It is hoped that this article contributes to the current discussions on the construction of curricula, the teaching of foreign languages from an emancipatory perspective, and the search for social justice in education.

Narratives of home-making on a Colombian intercultural campus

“…We all need a home to belong to, whether it is a physical place, or even our own body as in the case of Ikarus, and in building such a home, students develop, apprehend or adapt a plethora of intercultural moves to navigate the campus; this wealth of intercultural knowledge and competencies that students develop on their own must be studied, strengthened, capitalised on and promoted by the institution, in such a way that they become the bases on which critical intercultural relationships, equity and peace construction are strengthened, even before the advent of possible intercultural relations with foreigners. Put differently, students' narratives unveil ample repositories of intercultural and communicative strategies that can and should be systematised and intentionally fostered through curricula for the benefit of a meaningful and more humanistic education (Liddicoat, 2021;Ramírez Espinosa, 2021).…”