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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

CFP: ICSSR Sponsored Three International Conference Appropriate Teaching Methodologies in Interdisciplinary Contexts: Mapping Sociolinguistic Diversity (Hybrid Mode)-DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY-May 2024.



Conference Theme:

Teaching methodologies and methods have a significant impact on the learning outcomes of students. The current language learning theories, formulated within the monolingual context of English as a Native /Second/Foreign Language lack adequate consideration for diversity language education and sociolinguistic dimensions related to digital-divide, resources & infrastructure, access, classroom size, bi-literacy, bilingualism, multilingualism, rural-urban divide, teacher-student ratio, medium of instruction,among others. The present conference aims to highlight these challenges faced by ESL and content subject learners in the current educational system. The intricate sociolinguistic dynamics that exist within classroom interactions are influenced not only by pedagogic variables but also by broader social and cultural aspects that are ingrained in institutional and environmental settings.

This conference aspires to encourage various stakeholders to rethink Appropriate Methodology, not simply in terms of best practices but also by taking into account the dynamics of diversity education based on equitable opportunities. Some of the primary questions that immediately crop up here are: Can appropriate teaching methodology provide greater access to equitable opportunity of learning? If yes, how can we make such teaching practices socially relevant and inclusive? How can these practices prompt cross-cultural communication in a multicultural setting? Also, how can the class be shaped as learner-centred to cater to the diverse communicative needs beyond the classroom? .


The objectives of the conference would be twofold: firstly, it would aim to focus on developing critical thinking skills and promote cultural exchange by setting a discourse around it and refocusing our attention towards inclusivity, sustainability and social justice. Secondly, it would try to put forth recommendations to various stakeholders-policy makers, textbook writers, material designers administrators, educators to incorporate necessary methodological changes that would help bridge learning gaps taking into consideration the multiplicity and complexity of classroom interaction and methodology of content subjects as well. The conference seeks to rethink how English can be taught in diverse ESL settings, encompassing socially, linguistically, and economically disadvantaged populations against the backdrop of learning crisises and overdetermined contexts (NEP, 2020; WDR, 2018; GEMR, 2021 and SDG4, 2015).
Keywords: Teaching methodologies, ESL learners, Sociolinguistic Diversity, Inclusivity, Cross-cultural communication


CONFERENCE THEMES INCLUDES BUT NOT LIMITED TO :
1. Sociolinguistic Competence in the ESL Classroom: Agenda for future research
2. International English in its Sociolinguistic contexts
3. Diversity and Translanguaging in Language Education: Methodological challenges
4. Constructivist Approaches to Teaching
5. Review of curricula: Syllabus and Materials Designing, Appropriate Methodology and Assessment: Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Education Levels(PSTL)
6. Methodology in a Technological Environment
7. Advances in AI Technology and Methodology
8. Technology-based Strategies and Diverse Methodological Practices
9. Open Education Resources, Selection & Adaptationand Methodology
10. Mainstreaming ESL Teaching Methodology for Equity Concerns
11. Literacy Education for Marginalized EBLs’ (Emergent Bilingual Learners) Social, Cultural and Academic Inequities
12. Teacher Education for Inclusive Pedagogy (PSTL)
13. Policy Perspectives, Practice and ELT Planning: Methodological Challenges
14. Cross-cultural and Methodological Options in Second language pedagogy
15. Teaching Literature and Appropriate Pedagogy (PSTL)
16. Instructional Methodology of Language / Literature Teaching (PSTL)
17. Appropriate Pedagogical Strategies and Second Language Pedagogy: Speaking and Writing
18. Age/Grade Appropriate Pedagogy: Literature and Language Perspectives (PSTL)
19. Making Sense of Methodologies: BANA vs. TESEP
20. NEP (2020) and Appropriate Teaching Methodologies (PSTL)
21. Indian Knowledge System, Teaching of Indian Languages and English language: NEP 2020
22. Diverse Contexts of Methodology , Communication Strategies and Institutional Practices
23. Indian College Teachers’ / Learners’ Beliefs about Pedagogy (PSTL)
24. Methodological Constraints, Capacity Building and Teacher Development (PSTL)
25. Language Diversity into Content-based Instruction (CBI) Methodology- Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts, Sciences, Medicine, Agriculture, Law, Engineering and Tech, Commerce & Management, Foreign Languages, Modern Indian Languages: Policy and Practices (PSTL)
26. Writing Across the Curriculum (content based approaches)
27. Teaching and ‘otherness’
28. Teaching and Spaces
29. Teaching Language as ‘affirmative sabotage’
30. Disability Studies: Language Learning & Teaching/ Teacher Education
31. CELTA/ DELTA Methodology
32. TESOL/TESL Methodology
33. Assessment and Methodology
34. Learning Crisis, Learning Deficits and Methodology
35. Methodology for Environment Education and Language Instruction
36. ESP: English for Business/ EAP/EST
PS: Participants are advised to stick to the themes given above for 



Abstract submission.
Abstract Submisson Deadline: March 27, 2024
Last Date for Registration : April 12, 2024.
Conference e-mail Id: ic.appmethodologyamueng24@gmail.com


For More details: https://www.amu.ac.in/department/english/seminar-conference-workshop

Sunday, March 10, 2024

CALL FOR A CHAPTER FOR THE BOOK SPACE, IDENTITY AND LITERATURE: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES





Authentic, scholarly and unpublished research papers are invited from academicians and writers for publication in an edited volume. The volume will be published with an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) by a reputed National publisher. Authors are requested to strictly follow the submission guidelines mentioned herewith in their papers. Only electronic submission via email will be accepted for publication. The proposed title of the volume is SPACE, IDENTITY AND LITERATURE: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES
Concept note-
In the realm of literature Space is a very vast area as it covers various spaces like cultural space, mental space, ideological space, political space, gender space, psychological space etc. Space is obviously a multidimensional concept. Space here is meant not in literal way but it encompasses various dimensions. When we will try to define space in literal way it is found that Homi K Bhabha in his The Location of Culture used the term third space while describing the hybridity in postcolonial literature. According to Bhabha the third space is a mode articulation, a way of describing a productive and not merely reflective space that engenders new possibility. It is an interruptive, interrogative and enunciative (Bhabha). After that Henri Lefebvre talks about space taking it to another level. He categorizes space in three ways- perceived space, conceived space and lived space (Lefebvre). After that comes Edward Soja who draws on Lefebvre to develop his theories on space but he extends the understanding of spatiality in several ways that have proved valuable in this study, especially to our understanding of lived space. He spells out the importance of positions that are simultaneously centred and marginalised. Under the heading of third space, he incorporates some of the feminist and post-colonial criticisms of postmodern geographies (Soja) by embracing issues articulated in the works of bell hooks and Gillian Rose, among others.
At the same time through the politics of Identity will encompass the way in which characters are presented, depicted in these selected novels as well as how one has to lose his or her identity, what are the reasons behind this loss of identity and what types of crises they have to face after losing the identity. After losing identity one has again to rebuild the identity in new land, new background and in new way. This remaking of identity with the change of space is something very difficult to cope with, to manage and to adjust with. Naturally in this process what happens is that one’s settled, established life turn to be unsettled.

Sub Topics:
Colonial Legacy and Postcolonial Identity
Urbanization and Globalization
Partition and Displacement
Gender and Identity
Diasporic Identities
Language and Identity
Intersectionality of space and identity
Any other related to space, identity and literature


SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Files must be in Microsoft Word format following MLA 8th or 9th Edition, carrying a self-declaration that it is an original work and has not been published/ sent for publication anywhere else.
Font and Size: Times New Roman 12, Title must be in 14 point size, bold.
Word Limit: Minimum 2500 and maximum 4500 words including abstract and keywords.
Works cited should be included in the manuscript and not in separate document.
A brief bio-note of 150 words of the respective authors should be attached towards the end of full paper.
Authors are requested to submit their manuscript to
cfpforspaceandidentity@gmail.com on or before 15th April 2024
A fee of Rs. 1000 will be chargeable after the selection of paper against which each contributor will get a complimentary copy.
The book will be published from Authors Press Publisher or Orient Longman Publisher
For any other information do mail to cfpforspaceidenity@gmail.com or call 8617405478(WA)/ 9476142868
Editor
Bhaskar Ch Sarkar
Assistant Professor of English
S.R. Fatepuria College
Beldanga
Murshidabad

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Call for Papers: Special Issue: ‘Diasporas in Dramatherapy’-2024

 



This Special Issue attempts to highlight the voices of dramatherapists with lived experiences in the diaspora, as well as those of marginalized practitioners who are underrepresented due to their cultural, gender, political, racial, religious or ethnic belonging (or not belonging). This issue’s purpose is to evidence dramatherapy practice in the context of diaspora, to celebrate the voices of those inhabiting the diasporic space, and to document the influence of these unique experiences in drama therapy practice. 

diaspora usually brings to mind a group of people who have been displaced, dispersed, or exiled from their homeland. From its Greek etymology, the term denotes ‘dispersal’, literally referring to ‘the scattering of the seed’. Thus, being part of a diaspora is generally construed as inheriting a relationship with identity that is intrinsically bound to communal experiences of cultural, political, and racial displacement. A diasporic healing may involve finding belonging, processing grief, and acknowledging the impact of generational and collective traumas. However, the dispersal journey may also be thought of as initiating a movement, for instance, by creating diasporic spaces through cultural practices. In this sense, the Special Issue is an invitation to reflect on diasporic aspects of dramatherapy in general.

Some of the topics that we are inviting contributors to engage with include: Transgenerational lens in relation to mental health and dramatherapy; diaspora and the body; displacement; identity, sexuality, spirituality, religion, human rights, race and racism, culture, diversity, and representation in connection to diaspora; mental wellness and self-determination; the relationality of whiteness and diaspora; othering; the forced migration of dramatherapists from face-to-face practice to online work; belonging and identity; kinship; uncertainty and diaspora. Authors are encouraged to be mindful of what may emerge from the complexity around displacement, identity and intersectionality.

The context of diaspora is valuable to the field of dramatherapy and of psychotherapy at large, as it acknowledges the nuance of collectivist cultures, as well as individual experiences often overlooked or underrepresented by dominant western, European, and colonial frameworks. A dedicated body of work in this field may provide a space for individuals to become acquainted with previously unrecognized common patterns, within a self-identified diaspora. Prospective authors are invited to explore their own lived experience or locate themselves when sharing clinical work in relation to their clients and practice. This call seeks to provide an inclusive platform to honour the sacredness inseparable from the backgrounds inhabited by clients and clinicians under the theme of diaspora. Contributions are welcome in the forms of:

·full-length scholarly articles;

·reflections from practice;

·interviews;

·reviews of performances, art, literature, films etc.;

·book reviews; and

·creative contributions.

Contributors are invited to consult the journal’s Notes for Contributors, and to follow the Ethical Guidelines laid out on Intellect’s website: https://www.intellectbooks.com/ethical-guidelines

Contact Information

Taylor Mitchell

Contact Email
taylorrgmitchelldramatherapy@gmail.com

Friday, March 8, 2024

CALL FOR PAPERS: Special Issue on #Gender and #Climate Justice- Atlantis Journal

Special Issue: Gender and Climate Justice


Co-edited by Lori Lee Oates (Memorial University of Newfoundland) and Sritama Chatterjee (University of Pittsburgh)

This special issue of Atlantis Journal takes an intersectional approach to gender and climate justice. We invite work that explores a range of topics, including but not limited to:


• What should climate justice look like for women, trans people, and non-binary people?

• What is the role of masculinity in the climate crisis?

• What is ecofeminism in the contemporary world and what is its role in climate justice? How does ecofeminism relate to queer justice for the environment?

• What do queer and trans ecologies look like at present? How is this limiting for climate justice? What should they look like?

• What does disaster planning for the elderly and disabled look like? What should it look like to achieve true climate justice?

• How do historical colonial patterns of gender and racial inequality persist into the present and what does this mean for the climate crisis? Where are the intersections between race and gender?

• What are the links between climate justice movements and reproductive freedom activists? What should they be?


• What is petroleum patriarchy and where does it exist? How can it be addressed? Will a transition off fossil fuels be sufficient to address it?

• What are the limits of the politics of “the Anthropocene” for climate justice?

• How are gender and climate justice reflected in literature and arts?

• What kind of pedagogies are necessary to address gender and climate justice?

This call invites individuals to submit research articles (up to 7,000 words), literary writing (up to 3,000 words), and book reviews (up to 1,000 words). The editors are particularly interested in hearing from scholars and writers from the global south, Indigenous communities, queer and trans scholars, and those who engage with feminist or environmental activism. We envision this special issue as a forum both for acknowledging the urgency of the situation and presenting solutions from voices that are often excluded from the conversation. 

Submission Deadline: May 1,2024.

Please read full submission guidelines on our website before submitting.


https://journals.msvu.ca/index.php/atlantis/index

atlantis.journal@msvu.ca

Katherine Barrett (Managing Editor)

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Call for papers: Disability in World Cinema: Translating Subjectivity (NOV-2024)



This panel aims to address the question of the representation of disability in world cinema (fiction and documentary), while moving away from a purely historical approach that would primarily focus on the evolution of representation of disability to consider how Disability Studies have enabled us to reconsider the cinematic representations of disability. This panel hinges on the assumption that Disability Studies have given rise to a series of critical and theoretical tools, as well as to a renewed perception of disability that no longer sees it as a hindrance, but rather as a driving force for creation.

One of the objectives of this panel will thus be to observe how a certain number of artists working today are seizing on the question of disability to provide subjective and non-hegemonic representations that are often overlooked in more mainstream productions. Our approach for this panel is rooted in what constitutes the heart of Disability Studies, namely the possibility that the latter have offered to bring forth new modes of representation that value the lived experience of disabled people.

We welcome presentations that choose to explore the ways in which the theoretical tools developed by Disability Studies have fostered the creative process of artists who no longer perceive disability as the sole defining feature of an individual, but instead seek to translate the subjectivity of the disabled person through the affective power of the audiovisual medium. We are particularly interested in presentations that focus on works whose primary goal is to avoid the essentialization of disability.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

-The possibilities offered by the audiovisual medium to convey a more subjective and affective representation of disability (i.e. haptic images);

-How these modes of representation have redefined spectatorship and the way we approach images;

-How disabled artists are using the audiovisual medium to translate their own experience of disability.

Submission Deadline : April 30-2024

For More details: Visit https://www.pamla.org/

Call For Articles: "The Beauty of Storytelling and the Story of Beauty"-The Polish Journal of Aesthetics



We kindly invite Authors to submit proposals to a special issue of The Polish Journal of Aesthetics - "The Beauty of Storytelling and the Story of Beauty", Vol. 75 (2/2025), edited by Joanna Szczepanik (Faculty of Architecture, West Pomeranian Technological University in Szczecin, Poland) and Kalina Kukie?ko (Institute of Sociology, University of Szczecin, Poland)




This issue of The Polish Journal of Aesthetics delves into the intricate relationship between beauty and storytelling. Over a century ago, the emergence of artistic avant-gardes challenged the primacy of beauty as the paramount aesthetic value. In contemporary times, amidst the complexities of the 21st century, its interpretation and significance are contested by notions such as originality, innovation, and creativity. Furthermore, the advent and progression of new media, notably the ascent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), introduce new dimensions for scrutinizing authorship, aesthetic ideals, and the essence of art. Recognizing storytelling as a potent vehicle for comprehending the world, this issue urges authors to explore beauty as an inherent feature of narrative, encompassing both form and content, as articulated by W?adys?aw Tatarkiewicz: “whether it be color, sound, or thought.” Is there still a place for beauty in the modern world? What has become of the reverence for this once supreme value, traditionally aligned with goodness and truth in the Greek triad? A narrative infused with beauty entices, persuades, evokes emotions, resonates with experiences, and ultimately enriches our lives. This issue serves as an invitation to contemplate the current state of beauty in relation to storytelling as its fundamental aspect, and in reference to art-based research, which applies artistic methods to qualitative research. We welcome submissions representing diverse philosophical, artistic, cultural, and sociological perspectives, employing varied theoretical frameworks to engage in discourse about beauty and storytelling. Articles may explore, among other topics:

- Contemporary perspectives on beauty,
- Methods of narrating beauty and narratives about beauty,
- The beauty embedded within contemporary storytelling and narratives,
- Beauty's intersection with AI,
- Beauty as a constituent element of storytelling,
- Storytelling and aesthetic values,
- The storyteller, story, storytelling, and their audience,
- Storytelling and the world of design,
- Storytelling as an approach to aesthetic inquiry, art-based research, and qualitative research.

We also invite submissions in the form of essays, reviews, poetry, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary expressions that explore the volume’s theme from non-academic perspectives.




Submission deadline: 31 March, 2025

All Authors interested in contributing to this issue of The Polish Journal of Aesthetics are kindly requested to send full papers by submission page at the journal's website by March 31, 2025.

We strongly urge all Authors to read the instructions (‘For Authors’) before the submission.

Welcome to visit our website at:

Call for Papers: Twenty-First-Century #Religion and #Culture in Youth #Literature (A Special Issue of The Lion and the Unicorn)

 From its earliest moments in medieval Britain and colonial America, Anglophone children’s literature was built on a foundation of religion. Even when not positioned as explicitly religious, the dominant British and colonial religion of Christianity infused children’s books with church-based morals, and references to Christmas and Jesus were taken for granted. Since then, religion has continued to be an important aspect of children’s literature, but the relationships between religion, culture, children’s literature, education, and libraries have changed several times. Now, in the twenty-first century, Anglophone children’s literature is often more conscious of religious and international diversity, having been influenced by movements like We Need Diverse Books and grassroots organizations serving religious and cultural minorities. At the same time, increasing social and political polarization affects the production of children’s literature, especially when controversial topics are so often tied to religious ideologies. Recent developments like new manifestations of religious nationalism, the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia, the splintering of the Methodist church, Pope Francis’ decision to allow Catholic clergy to bless same-sex relationships, the growing rate of young adults leaving religious communities, and differentiation within a variety of indigenous and diasporic religions make the time ripe for reconsideration of academic discussions about the role of religion and belief in children’s literature.

This special issue aims to revive and expand long-standing conversations about the roots and continued presence of religion in children’s literature, beyond consideration of early Christian influences. For example, children’s literature has been shaped by many developments including:

  • fundamental changes in religious institutions; 
  • cross-cultural influences within and between religions; 
  • secularization and resistance to secularization; 
  • grappling with and/or reconciliation of creationism and evolution; 
  • movements intersecting with religion (e.g., ongoing civil rights struggles, feminism, LGBTQ+ advocacy, abortion access, environmental activism, decolonial movements, Black Lives Matter). 

With an eye towards interfaith dialogue and inclusion, we will feature a variety of perspectives on religion and culture in children’s and young adult literature. 

We invite submissions of proposals for this special issue of The Lion and the Unicorn to be published in Spring 2026. Please submit abstracts of 400-500 words for full-length essays (8,000-10,000 words) addressing, challenging, and/or developing ideas about the current state of religion and culture, broadly defined, in texts for children and young adults in a variety of religious and cultural contexts. We especially encourage papers considering non-Western and non-Abrahamic religious traditions, papers engaging with intersectionality, and papers considering old ideas in a new light.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Does religion still matter in twenty-first-century youth literature? 
  • How does the post-secular and/or post-humanist age affect religious content in youth literature, and vice versa?
  • How does the current state of religion in children’s literature and the relationship between religious cultures and children’s literature fit within the longer history of children’s publishing?
  • What is the legacy of canonical authors or enduring representations of religious practice in children’s literature? 
  • What has happened to the “Christmas chapter,” especially in series fiction? What role have those episodes, so long a staple of Anglophone children’s texts, played in shaping youth literature, national religious consciousness, politics, etc.?
  • What does children’s literature still lack in the realm of religion and culture? Why are those elements important, and what prevents them from being represented?
  • How are the many voices within individual religious or cultural communities represented? What are some of the internal debates, and how do they affect either niche or mainstream publishing?
  • Are there significant differences in religious representations between books published for a mainstream audience and ones published for an internal religious or cultural community? Between books distributed in a single country versus books distributed globally?
  • How does the religious or cultural affiliation of the perceived or intended audience affect the narratives of children’s texts? 
  • What are the functions of youth libraries in religious cultural centers like mosques, synagogues, churches, or temples? What kinds of book-centered programming happens in these centers, and what role do they play in the representation of religion and culture in children’s literature?
  • How do public libraries and/or public schools use materials with overt or subtle religious messaging? What kinds of book-centered religious programming do public libraries and/or public schools plan? How does this vary based on community demographics? 
  • How do local or national standards of education in subjects like “world religions” influence which books make their way into the curriculum? How are these books utilized in lesson plans?
  • At a time when librarianship, children’s literature scholarship, and publishing have committed to diversifying representation, what role does the age-old question of quality in children’s texts play in various contexts including religious communities, professional educators, scholars, etc.?
  • How does religious content in youth literature shape the cultural consciousness of youth in all religious traditions (including none), of the publishing industry, and/or of professional organizations? 
  • What role do children’s editions of sacred texts and/or study guides play in the broader market of youth literature?
  • Is there a significant difference between religion as represented in fantasy and religion as presented in contemporary or historical realism? What are the effects of those differences on readers?
  • Do books about contemporary youth and religion differ in any significant ways from books drawing on religious pasts or legends? 
  • Does age matter? How do picture books, early readers, middle grade books, and/or young adult books differ in their engagement with or representation of religious and cultural content?
  • How does youth literature with religious content address or engage with often-controversial themes like social justice, the environment, etc.? How does a religious lens influence the messaging around these topics? What are the differences between various religions’ and denominations’ approaches to these topics?
  • How does religion function in any or all aspects of youth literature and youth media more broadly?


Deadline for submissions of proposals: July 15, 2024

Submit via Google Form: https://forms.gle/tC8g7MYpLAxF6dcu8

For any questions, contact Sara Schwebel (sls09@illinois.edu), Suzan Alteri (salteri@illinois.edu), or Dainy Bernstein (dainyb@illinois.edu).

Contact Information

Sara Schwebel, Suzan Alteri, Dainy Bernstein

Contact Email
sls09@illinois.edu