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                No. 30

Editorial
Dr. Carlo Granados-Beltrán

Academic Vice Chancellor ÚNICA

What happens when teachers and students are not simply expected to follow 
the rules and deliver lessons but are instead seen as thoughtful, creative, 
and critical participants in the learning process? The articles featured in 
this issue of GiST suggest a meaningful shift in this direction—one that 

reimagines classrooms as spaces for exploration, dialogue, and transformation.

This issue brings together a rich collection of studies that focus on three key areas: 
the role of teachers in shaping their classrooms, the mental and emotional processes 
involved in language learning, and the deeper messages contained in the materials 
used for teaching.

Several articles emphasize the importance of teachers’ professional judgment and 
creativity. Abebe Tewachew’s research looks at how English teachers in Ethiopian 
secondary schools design their classroom tests. The study reveals that, although many 
teachers prepare carefully and communicate clearly, their tests frequently overlook 
key principles of effective assessment. In a related study, Wakgari Deressa Aemero 
and Alemayehu Getachew Revere examine how speaking skills are taught in the same 
region. They find that teachers often use interactive activities such as group discussions 
and pair work, but a strong focus on getting things exactly right sometimes prevents 
students from speaking freely. Together, these studies raise an essential question: how 
can we offer teachers better training while still respecting and supporting their local 
knowledge and experience?

This issue also delves into the inner world of language learners—their thoughts, 
feelings, and personal learning strategies. Serap Atasever Belli examines how Turkish 
students comprehend and employ complex verb structures, demonstrating that 
vocabulary knowledge facilitates the use of grammar.  Parisa Farrokh and Gholamreza 
Hamta investigate how students’ motivation relates to their ability to speak English. 
They find that even a slight increase in motivation can have a positive impact. 
Meanwhile, Zelalem Ayalew Abate, Abiy Yigezaw, and Yinager Teklesellassie examine 
how students’ strategies for planning, monitoring, and reflecting on their writing can 
lead to significant improvements. 

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Lastly, two contributions invite us to think critically about the teaching materials 
themselves. Anteneh K. Lakew examines how everyday spoken English is presented in 
textbooks used in Ethiopia, questioning whether these conversations accurately reflect 
how people talk in real life. On a more personal note, I offer a review of the book 
Decolonizing Educational Knowledge, edited by Ann E. López and Herveen Singh. 
My intention is not to provide a final word on the topic, but rather to respond to the 
invitation of this book to question the deeper structures behind education—what we 
choose to teach, how we teach it, and whose knowledge we value.

These contributions point to a common theme: the need to build more open, 
inclusive, and thoughtful language classrooms. This involves seeing teachers as 
knowledgeable professionals, recognizing students as active learners with thoughts 
and emotions, and examining how our teaching tools reflect (or fail to reflect) the real 
world.

We hope this issue contributes to ongoing conversations about how to teach and 
learn languages in ways that are not only effective but also just, human, and reflective.

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                No. 30