Posgrados

Foreign Language Professional Development and Teacher Education
This research area is concerned with the analysis and presentation of academic programs for pre- service and in-service foreign language teachers working in private and public schools. The researchers’ main objective is to construct local knowledge so that teachers at different levels can participate in pertinent and contextualized programs.

Language Policy and Educational Reform
Students in this area investigate the formulation, appropriation and implementation of education and foreign language reforms introduced in Colombia, how these policy agendas are connected to national and international reforms, and how teachers and educational actors can play a role as policymakers for the construction of a more inclusive society. Research in this area also investigates specific policy initiatives implemented in cities, universities, schools and foreign language centers for a better understanding of the educational system in Colombia, and for the continuous improvement of language teaching, learning, testing and assessment processes.

Integration of ICT to Foreign Language Teaching and Learning
This area of inquiry promotes research on several issues related to the integration of ICT into foreign language learning and teaching processes. Standing out among those issues are the impact that the use of web 2.0 and media production tools may have in the development of foreign language competence, the role of ICT mediated instruction in developing learners’ autonomy, the promotion of ICT mediated effective language teaching practices, and the fostering of ICT mediated interaction and collaborative language learning. The area’s main objective is to create local knowledge that can contribute to the ever-growing understanding of the potential of ICT as supporting tools of foreign language learning and teaching.

Critical Perspectives on Language and Culture
This research area focuses on the study of teaching and learning practices in language education and culture from both critical and socio-cultural perspectives. The area aims to contribute to the production of local knowledge on language education and to have an impact on local practices at different educational levels and contexts. As such, special attention is paid to social, cultural, ideological, and political factors that shape language education in the Colombian context.

Testing, Assessment and Evaluation in Foreign Languages
This research area critically investigates discourses and practices around assessment, testing and evaluation in the field of foreign
language teaching and learning and promotes democratic alternatives that sustain teacher and student learning within the context of current education and language reform trends. Researchers in this area advocate for the systematic and collective study of the following: classroom and institutional assessment practices, the types of tests Colombian teachers and students are asked to take, the functions these tests and assessments perform, the advantages and disadvantages they have, and the critical questions both teachers and students may ask about them.