"Innovative Language Teaching Practices in Higher Education in a Post-COVID Era" is a comprehensive and timely exploration of how the COVID-19 pandemic, technological advancements, and socio-economic shifts have dramatically altered the landscape of language teaching in higher education (HE). In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, educators around the world have been forced to re-evaluate and reinvent traditional teaching practices. The shift from face-to-face instruction to online and hybrid learning was swift and transformative, creating both opportunities and challenges for educators, students, and institutions alike. This book critically engages with this new reality, offering insights, research, and strategies that address the evolving needs of language education in HE.
The pandemic-induced transition to remote learning has highlighted the resilience and adaptability of educators, as well as the critical role of digital technologies in teaching. The contributors to this volume reflect on these significant changes and investigate how language educators have responded to this new paradigm, exploring key themes including the rise of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), the integration of Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL), flipped classrooms, Virtual Exchange (VE) and reflective practices like journaling. This edited volume underscores the importance of digital literacy, fostering autonomy, and preparing students for global professional environments, advocating for reform in teacher education and intercultural competence-building. Through a collection of empirical research studies, case analyses, and practical examples, this book presents a wide-ranging perspective on the future of language teaching and the integration of innovative practices that will shape HE in the coming years.
Athanasiou, Androulla: - Androulla Athanasiou is an English Language Instructor at the Language Centre of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT). She holds an MA in English and Language Studies and Methods from Warwick University (2000), an MA in Educational Leadership from the European University Cyprus (2012) and a PhD in English Language Teaching from Warwick University (2005). Her research interests lie in material design, the use of technology in language teaching/learning (Computer Assisted Language Learning), learner autonomy, collaborative learning, the use of Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). ORCID: 0000-0002-0125-8033
Christoforou, Maria: - Maria Christoforou is a PhD Candidate, focusing on the pedagogical affordances of Virtual Reality in the learning of English as a foreign language. She has a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the Open University, UK and a Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Cyprus. She is involved in curriculum development and teaching of English for Specific Purposes at the Cyprus University of Technology Language Centre and implements Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality technologies in her courses. She has received research grants for collaboration with the Language Centre of Taipei Medical University, Taiwan, and has also organised intercultural projects via High Immersion Social Virtual Reality with Utrecht University, Netherlands. Her research interests revolve around Virtual Reality-Assisted Language Learning (VRALL), immersive technologies, and multimodality. ORCID: 0000-0001-7598-6159
Hadjiconstantinou, Stavroulla: - Stavroulla Hadjiconstantinou is a member of the Special Teaching Staff at the Language Centre of CUT since 2009. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Language Studies and a Master's degree in Applied linguistics both from Essex University, UK. Stavroulla also holds a PhD in Linguistics and English Language from Lancaster University UK. Her research interests include Second language acquisition, ESP curriculum and material design and development, Pedagogical applications of Critical thinking in Education, Technology Enhanced Language Learning, Multimodality and Digital media literacy. ORCID: 0000-0001-6226-8000
