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Editorial  
Carlo Granados-Beltrán*

Editor-in-chief

English & Marr (2019) claim that language teachers “should claim and own the discipline of language study, and position themselves as critical language experts within their institutions” (p. 19). This means that 
revisiting the knowledge base that sustains our daily work helps to promote 
an understanding of language teachers as professionals rather than instructors. 
Despite language teaching is enriched by many disciplines and influenced by 
contextual factors, it is important to acknowledge the two main disciplines which 
converge to provide the basis for our profession: Linguistics and Pedagogy.

This idea coincides with what many authors describe as the components of 
teacher knowledge: content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and contextual 
knowledge. Content knowledge relates to our specific subject matter, e.g. 
English as a language; pedagogical knowledge is linked to the skills of how to 
teach, and contextual knowledge is connected to an interest in students and their 
communities (Shulman, 1987; Grossman, 1990; and Putnam & Borko, 2000). 

Many of the articles in this edition document innovative practices in the teaching 
of skills, which contributes to the construction of content knowledge. For 
example, in relation to writing, we can find Julio-Cárdenas & López-Pinzón 
which implemented a model named Reciprocal Teaching Model for helping a 
group of tenth graders to develop this skill. Likewise, Pérez & Vargas-Daza 
explored the creation of picture books to foster narrative writing skills in fifth 
graders. Montero-Arévalo also addressed writing by analyzing how genre-
based approach affected ninth graders’ reading comprehension and writing. 

For content knowledge, also Camacho-Vásquez & Ovalle analyzed the 
influence of video games on vocabulary acquisition in a group of students from 
the BA in English Teaching. Uribe-Enciso, Fuentes-Hernández, Vargas-Pita 
& Rey-Pabón identified problematic phonemes for Spanish speakers learning 
English by reviewing theoretical and research reports.  Additionally, two of 
the articles in this edition addressed pedagogical knowledge by analyzing 
the implementation of pedagogical approaches. Agudelo & Morales-Vasco 
inquired about the ways in which project-based learning could work as a catalyst 
for developing autonomy in both teachers and students. Similarly, Arboleda-
Arboleda & Castro-Garcés narrate an experience on the use of literature to 
foster language learning in a university EFL classroom. 

Johnson and Golombek (2011) state that learning to teach is a social activity, 
which means that teacher educators need to socialize novice teachers into the 

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theories, activities, methodologies, and language related to the profession. Two 
of the contributions address the complex issue of assessment: Sevilla-Morales 
& Chaves-Fernández inquired about authentic assessment in listening 
comprehension at an English teaching major in the University of Costa Rica. 
Similarly, in Colombia, Herrera-Mosquera & Zambrano-Castillo explored 
how English learning was assessed in an English language teacher education 
program. Finally, Han & Takkaç-Tulgar explored an aspect we all have 
experienced as novice teachers, which is teaching anxiety and coping strategies 
at a Turkish elementary school context. 

The editorial team of GiST Journal hopes you find this new issue professionally 
enriching as well as inspiring for all those in the profession who want to make 
their reflections, pedagogical and research experiences known to the wider 
audience.

References 

Grossman PL (1990) The making of a teacher: Teacher knowledge and teacher 
Education. New York: Teachers College Press.

Johnson, K. & Golombek, P. (2011). A sociocultural theoretical perspective 
on teacher professional development. In K. Johnson & P. Golombek 
(Eds.). Research on Second Language Teacher Education. A Sociocultural 
Perspective on Professional Development. Oxon: Routledge.

 Marr, T. & English, F. (2019). Rethinking TESOL in diverse global settings. 
The Language and the Teacher in a Time of Change. London: Bloomsbury. 

Putnam, R. T., & Borko, H. (2000). What do new views of knowledge and 
thinking have to say about research on teacher learning?. Educational 
researcher, 29(1), 4-15.

Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. 
Harvard educational review, 57(1), 1-23.

*Carlo Granados-Beltrán Editor in Chief-  holds a PhD in Education 
from Universidad Santo Tomás, an MA in British Cultural Studies and 
ELT from the University of Warwick and an MA in Applied Linguistics 
to TEFL from Universidad Distrital. He is the Academic Director at 
the BA in Bilingual Education at ÚNICA. He has been teacher of the 
Language Department at Universidad Central, the BA programmes 
in Spanish and Languages and Spanish and English at Universidad 
Pedagógica Nacional and the BA in Modern Languages at Universidad 
Javeriana. Also, he is guest lecturer for the MA in Language Teaching 
at UPTC

                No. 19 (July - December 2019)     No. 19 (July - December 2019)