Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning in English Language and Literature Studies

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite submissions for a Special Issue entitled “Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning in English Language and Literature Studies,” that has emerged from the Fourth Hawaii International Conference on English Language and Literature Studies (HICELLS 2025) held at A’Sharqiya University, Ibra, Oman, on 19-20 February 2025.

While encouraging submissions from all HICELLS 2025 presenters, we also welcome contributions from other scholars whose works align with the theme. Please submit your abstracts and subsequently a full manuscript for possible inclusion. This Special Issue aims to discuss the emerging pedagogical strategies that are transforming the teaching and learning of the English language and literature in the post-pandemic era. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic there were significant changes which led to the evaluation and innovation of pedagogical approaches to teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and English literature. This brought about a paradigm shift in the teaching of the English language and literature. Consequently, many schools replaced the traditional classroom setting with online, blended, hybrid, and HyFlex teaching models that are supported by new digital tools such as Zoom, Google Classroom, and Microsoft Teams, which have become central to instructional design (Ascione, 2025). The integration of technology into the classroom was once supplementary, and now it has come to form the core of delivering lessons, soliciting feedback from students, and engaging students in class (Tiwari, Seraphin, & Chowdhary, 2021).

In the post-pandemic era, educators continue to integrate technology, such as artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, into teaching and learning, which has resulted in more interactive learning (Garcez, Silva & Franco, 2022). These changes and innovative approaches have led to a more engaging classroom experience for the learners and foster deeper learning (Hererro & Spence, 2023).

We invite interested scholars to submit their research for publication in this Special Issue. Areas of interest may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

1. Innovations in ESL, EFL, and English literature instruction;
2. Artificial intelligence and language learning;
3. Blended, hybrid, and Hyflex teaching models in ELT;
4. Cross-cultural communication and ELT;
5. English language curricula and teaching materials;
6. Language testing and evaluation;
7. Technology and e-learning in ELT and English literature teaching;
8. Curriculum transformation in English language and literature studies;
9. Creative approaches to teaching the English language and English literature;
10. Digital literacies and language learning;
11. Culturally responsive teaching;
12. Innovations in language testing and assessment.

We request that, before submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors (fdumanig@hawaii.edu; Abatayoj2015@gmail.com) or the Education Sciences Editorial Office (education@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors to ensure proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue, and full manuscripts will undergo double-blinded peer review.

References

Ascione, L. (2025, March 17). Post-pandemic, a new era of teaching and learning. eSchool News: Education Innovations, Insights & Resources. https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2025/03/17/post-pandemic-a-new-era-of-teaching-and-learning/.

Garcez A., Silva R., & Franco M. (2022). Digital transformation shaping structural pillars for academic entrepreneurship: A framework proposal and research agenda. Education and Information Technologies,27(1):1159–1182. doi: 10.1007/s10639-021-10638-5.

Herrero, C. & Spence, P. (2023) Introduction: reflections on post-pandemic pedagogical trends in language education. Modern Languages Open, (1), 31. https://doi.org/10.3828/mlo.v0i0.354.

Tiwari P., Séraphin S., & Chowdhary N.R. (2021). Impacts of COVID-19 on tourism education: Analysis and perspectives. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 21(4):313–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2021.1907194.

Ratten V.(2023). The post COVID-19 pandemic era: Changes in teaching and learning methods for management educators. The International Journal of Management Education, 21(2), 100777. doi: 10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100777. Epub 2023 Feb 9. PMCID: PMC9910020.

Dr. Francisco Perlas Dumanig
Dr. Junifer Abatayo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.