The Art of Creating Learning Opportunities in the Diverse Language Class: Wellness as a Key Issue
Hassan Abouabdelkader & Soufiane Abouabdelkader (Morroco)
Abstract
This talk debates the controversies brought forth by the different types of misunderstanding that have occurred due to the introduction of new paradigms in language pedagogy. It seeks to bring to the front the interaction between these paradigms and the different aspects of wellness in language pedagogy, on the one hand, and the challenges awaiting teachers to sort out these controversies. Using a multilingual frame of reference, the main arguments reached in diversity education which caused threats to such pedagogies are analysed in the light of the current wars and trade disputes. By doing this, this talk scourges the hard things for teachers to bear and the ones to avoid being scourged by. It is hoped that the analyses, along with the support of empirically founded evidence, will set out grounds for a language pedagogy that makes wellness a catalyst for a harmonious classroom that caters for all. A key feature of the presentation is how teaching and teacher training as well as educational policy can prepare teachers to work successfully with students from diverse backgrounds and encourage equity and inclusion in their teaching across the Middle East and North Africa and summarises the lessons to be learned for effective language teaching in other countries.
Bio
Professor Hassan Abouabdelkader, PhD, is a Professor of Education at Meknes University in Morocco and an expert in language teacher training. He received his education at the Faculty of Education, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco, and the Institute of Education, University of London. In Morocco, he has previously worked at the British Council in Rabat and conducted teacher training at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Meknes. Professor Abouabdelkader is the author of numerous books on English Language Teaching (ELT), and most recently, he serves as the co-editor of “Diversity Education in the MENA region – Bridging the gaps in language learning.
Soufiane Abouabdelkader is a lecturer at Shouaib Doukkali University in Jadeda, Morocco. He specializes in language teacher training and has particular interests in research methods, the role of statistics in the social sciences, and assessment in English. Soufiane has participated in numerous national and international conferences and has published several works. He has authored chapters in ‘Assessing Writing in the 21st Century Arab World’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2028) and ‘Teacher’s Feedback on EFL Students’ Dissertation Writing in Morocco.’ Most recently, he contributed a chapter on ‘Representation, Engagement, and Expression in Moroccan Higher Education Curricula: Focus on Reading Comprehension’ in ‘Diversity Education in the MENA Region- Bridging the Gaps in Language Learning,’ also published by Palgrave Macmillan.