Revista Brasileira de Linguística Aplicada

Call for Papers

Special Issue on

Pedagogies of Harmonies as Critical Love in English Language Education

Submission deadline: July 20th, 2025

Publication date: starting January 2026

The Brazilian Journal of Applied Linguistics (RBLA ISSN: 1984-6398, Qualis A1), sponsored by the Graduate Program in Linguistic Studies at the Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Linguistics of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), is inviting submissions for a Special Edition focusing on Pedagogies of Harmonies as Critical Love in English Language Education.

Proposals should be submitted by July 28, 2025.

Journal website: http://periodicos.letras.ufmg.br/index.php/rbla

Pedagogies of Harmonies as Critical Love in English Language Education

            Today, more than ever, we—professionals in educational sectors—find ourselves in a moment where instability is the new and accepted norm worldwide. This instability, however, is not a recent occurrence—it has been building up for years to reach this point. Children, youth, and adults alike have been witnessing escalating conflicts, climate change, pandemics, and injustices for years, which have contributed to a “dramatic decline in mental wellbeing with each younger generation” (Thiagarajan & Newson, 2023, p. 2). In this context, language plays a crucial role as a mediator, shaping and reflecting our experiences, emotions, and interactions. Language not only facilitates communication but also serves as a powerful tool for expressing identity, fostering connections, and navigating the complexities of our globalized world. In this era marked by rapid change and unpredictability, societies grapple with the need to adapt to these multitudes of global shifts. As microcosms of societies and the world, education systems also find themselves at the nexus of this transformation, facing the pressing task of preparing learners not just for today, but for the uncertainties of tomorrow. The rising demands on education to cultivate critical thinking, resilience, adaptability, and especially love, reflect a deeper understanding that knowledge must be accompanied by the capacity to navigate complex social and environmental landscapes.

Inspired by our past individual and collective works (e.g., Pentón Herrera et al., 2023) as well as the ongoing socio-cultural-political events worldwide, we propose this special issue. As we reconcile our positionalities in today’s world, this special, timely, and much-needed issue seeks to emphasize harmonies as critical love and collective healing. Our goal is that contributions will offer insights into how we can bridge the gap between individual understanding and both individual and collective well-being, offering possible pathways to navigate and thrive in our interconnected world. Further, this issue aims to spark a dialogue that transcends the present boundaries of language education, advocating for an approach that prepares individuals for academic success and a life of empathy, unity, and meaningful interaction across cultures. By championing pedagogies of harmonies, we invite learners, educators, and scholars to co-create learning environments that reflect the complexities and beauties of human connection, thereby bringing pedagogies of harmonies as critical love into action. Thus, we have curated a list of manuscripts (both conceptual and empirical) that explore, propose, and show the potential of pedagogies of harmonies as critical love in English language education.

Special Issue Editors: 

1. Luis Javier Pentón Herrera, Akademia Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna w Warszawie
2. Ethan Trinh, Georgia State University
3. Gloria Park, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

For any questions and inquiries, please contact: andreamattosufmg@gmail.com or periodicosfaleufmg@gmail.com

Diretrizes para Autores

Nota: Todas as submissões que contiverem relatos de pesquisas feitas com seres humanos deverão apresentar aprovação do CEP ou de outros órgãos de ética em pesquisa. Não serão publicados trabalhos que não tenham sido aprovados por tais órgãos.   

As standard procedure, the Brazilian Journal of Applied Linguistics carries out checks on all submissions for both plagiarism and self-plagiarism. If a submitted article is shown to have plagiarised, the submission will be immediately declined. Under no circumstances, the Brazilian Journal of Applied Linguistics will accept articles previously published on other platforms. In the case of articles that have been translated from a previously published text, the Brazilian Journal of Applied Linguistics may consider its publication. However, this must be disclaimed before submission, and a reference will have to be made as a footnote in the published article.

If an article is found to have plagiarized after its publication, it will be immediately removed from the platform and the author(s) will be notified and removed from the list of contributors to the journal.

The Brazilian Journal of Applied Linguistics does not take any legal responsibility for plagiarism.