N. Rudolph, H.-S. Kang, S. Gray, T. R. Roh, M. Kudaibergenov
Criticality in ELT
This featured panel seeks to define, unpack, and explore the meaning and practice of criticality in contemporary ELT. Moving beyond the idea of critical thinking as a discrete skill, the discussion examines “criticality” as an ethical stance, a pedagogical orientation, and a way of negotiating identity in transnational contexts. Panelists will individually and collectively consider how criticality shapes teacher legitimacy, student agency, and classroom relationships, particularly in contexts where native-speaker ideologies and market-driven pressures remain influential. The session will also explore translanguaging as a potentially critical practice and examine tensions between critical approaches and recent curriculum revisions in South Korea. Throughout the discussion, panelists will reflect on how educators can balance institutional expectations with commitments to equity, reflexivity, and social responsibility. By connecting theory, policy, and classroom practice, this panel invites participants to rethink what it means to enact criticality in contemporary ELT and to consider practical pathways forward.
The Panelists
Nathanael Rudolph (Panelist)
Nathanael Rudolph, PhD, is a professor of sociolinguistics and language education at Kindai University in Higashiosaka, Japan. Nathanael’s research explores themes including teacher and student negotiations of being, becoming, and belonging within and transcending (language) education, and transdisciplinary, community-based approaches to identity, experience, interaction, and (in)justice.
Hyun-Sook Kang (Panelist)
Hyun-Sook Kang, PhD, is an associate professor of education policy, organization, and leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. Her research interests center on language practice and ideology in relation to global mobility, such as immigration and study abroad.
Stewart Gray (Panelist)
Stewart Gray, PhD, is a teaching fellow in applied linguistics at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China. His teaching areas include TESOL, applied linguistics, English literature, and related topics. His research areas include creativity and critical thinking in language education, language learner/teacher identity and motivation, and reflective teaching practice.
Teri Rose Roh (Panelist)
Teri Rose Roh, PhD, is an assistant professor at Inha University, Korea. Her research interests include topics on classroom discourse, language attitudes, and the professional identity of transnational NNESTs.
Meerbek Kudaibergenov (Moderator, Panelist)
Meerbek Kudaibergenov, PhD, is an assistant professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech), Korea, and serves KOTESOL as the chair of the 2026 International Conference. He is keenly interested in student and teacher identity, international education, and negotiations of legitimacy and belonging in transnational contexts.
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