Bridging Theory and Decolonial Praxis in English Language Teacher Preparation in Germany
摘要
In this chapter, we describe our respective journeys towards decoloniality, which motivated us to develop a course Decolonial English Language Teaching for future English teachers at the University of Education in Karlsruhe (KUE), Germany. As shared in this contribution, our course was intended to examine prevailing Eurocentric academic models within English language teaching (ELT) theory and practice and explore alternative approaches to colonial practices. Contents included decolonising pronunciation teaching, teaching materials, language assessment, curriculum design, education policies, and teacher education. We challenge coloniality by seeking decolonial options (Mignolo, 2018), moving towards de-hierarchisation of knowledges, and amplifying Southern voices. This chapter also highlights both the challenges of connecting decolonial theory to practical needs of future English teachers who seek easily applicable strategies in the classroom rather than learning to be prepared to be unprepared (Mastrella-de-Andrade & Pessoa, 2019). To bridge this gap, we facilitate exchanges with partners in Global South contexts in what we describe as a bi-directional approach. This transformative journey towards decoloniality is a continuous learning process for lecturers and students and involves un-learning and re-learning, forging paths towards a more inclusive and decolonial future in ELT.