Theme NCE 2022

During the pandemic and afterwards, the world as we knew it has changed drastically, causing people to reconsider their priorities in their personal and professional lives. There have been fundamental changes in the way we communicate and teach: digital tools have taken up a more prominent place in our didactic repertoire; new avenues for meaningful teacher-student contact have been explored; and many of us have sought to recalibrate a healthy work-private life balance. There have been political changes too, affecting the way we use English, and the varieties of English that students consider to be relevant. Think of Brexit, the political upheavals in the US, and the rise of other economies, all against the background of a world where more non-native than native speakers use English as the choice language for international communication. As a result, teachers are faced with a multitude of choices to be made. What kind(s) of English do we want our students to learn and understand? What do we value more: correctness or communicative effectiveness? What roles do cultural and gender identities play in our language and literature classrooms? And, of course, which lessons do we draw from a long period of lockdown? And how can they help to improve English education beyond the pandemic? At the NCE 2022, we want to provide a platform for discussion on and inspiration for how to relate to English in a changed world.