ELE Praxis

The CFER in English and Communication Competence: A Decolonial Perspective

Fabian Wanbok Marbaniang — 2025-11-30

The process of migrating from a non-English-speaking and developing country outside Europe to an English-speaking developed country is a prerequisite to having communicative competence in English to work and reside in an English-speaking country, particularly the United Kingdom (UK). The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) assesses and describes the communicative competence level of a foreign language speaker in a European language. The development of English language competence as a foreign or second language learner is gradually phased out in favour of English or other European languages. Preliminary findings suggest a growing demand for communicative competence in English in higher education, a need that has paved the way for the CEFR to be adopted in non-English speaking countries outside Europe. The communicative approach aligned with the CEFR descriptors dominates English Language Education. This paper argues that communicative competence has dominated linguistic competence, and UK-based organisations and publishing houses have contributed to this dominance, utilising the CEFR descriptors as a tool.

An English Teacher's Currere from Cocksureness to Critical Self-Awareness

Hem Raj Kafle — 2025-11-30

In this paper, I narrate my transformative journey as an English language teacher in relation to my understanding of curriculum theory and practice in higher education. Using the currere approach, I reflect on my evolution from initial overconfidence to critical curriculum awareness at Kathmandu University since August 2000. The paper addresses a common phenomenon in higher education, where students receive superficial exposure to curricular processes during their academic journey, subsequently developing unwarranted confidence in the curriculum upon graduation. Through systematic reflection and critique, this currere aligns my personal curricular experiences with established theoretical frameworks, particularly drawing upon Schwab's curriculum commonplaces, Schubert's curricular images, and Baptist's conceptualization of curriculum as a garden. The study contributes to curriculum discourse by presenting a customizable framework for understanding and implementing curriculum as a developing educational guideline. The reflections demonstrate how theoretical grounding in foundational curriculum concepts helps transform practitioners from unreflective implementers to critically aware developers and implementers of curriculum.

Oral Narrative Studies in Assam: Exploring Three Tantric Myths

Pritam Priya Goswami — 2025-11-30

Integral to folklore studies, oral narratives have garnered significant academic attention since the previous century, particularly among Western academia. These academic discourses largely influence the methodologies adopted for studying oral narratives worldwide. However, upon examining the diversity of indigenous oral narratives, particularly in regions such as the Northeast of Assam, several genres are identified that have not yet become significant documents in folklore studies. One such variety of oral narratives is the Tantric myths in Assam, India. The accessible tantric myths in Assam are important materials for folkloristic analysis as they represent a virgin area of folkloristic investigation. An integral part of the everyday practices of various tribes inhabiting Assam, their existence and relevance inform us of two major things about the people. First, the people of Assam have an intrinsic belief system, where they believe in the power of tantra as a magic-inducing factor. This is not only a result of 'fear' of the unexplained/unpredictable, but also a faith that the omnipotent and omniscient, if there is any, is Nature herself. Humans need to be in harmony with Nature at all times if they want to achieve their desired objectives, results, or protection. The 'magical' in Assam is not about the miraculous or the impossible, but actually about a 'wonder' to be gifted as a blessing by Nature, if/when appeased. Secondly, there is a sense of relevance in these myths among the people of Assam, as they are still practiced and performed, often with a sense of secrecy to preserve their mystical nature. A folkloristic investigation is attempted here, utilizing three available Tantric myth texts. The investigation includes a structural analysis, adopting Claude Levi-Strauss's concept of breaking down a myth into its smallest units, along with an exploration of the forms of the myth using the epic laws of folk narrative by Axel Olrik. I carried out the functional analysis of the myths using the participant observation method, the basis of which is formed by Bronislaw Malinowski, A. R. Radcliffe Brown, and William Bascom's conceptions of the functions of folklore. Additionally, the investigation also ponders the process of transmitting narratives to establish the relevance of such myths in folk life.

Women Teachers' Identity Transformation: An Autoethnography

Sharada Khanal — 2025-11-30

In this autoethnography, I, Sharada Khanal, as the first author, explore my transformative journey as a woman English teacher through personal experiences and educational milestones. This autoethnographic narrative analyzes each narrative account through the theoretical lens of dialogical self-theory to interpret the connections between my (first author's) narratives and my identity transformation in relation to different I-positions. Evocative autoethnography in research enables me to apply flexible modes of inquiry derived from my life experiences, creating a more equitable and supportive environment for women educators. This study not only projects my professional growth but also offers a poignant reflection on the broader challenges and accomplishments women face in academic circles.

English Learning Experiences Pre-, During, and Post- COVID-19 Pandemic: Narratives of College Students from the Bara District

Puja Kumari Gupta — 2025-11-30

This study explores the narratives of college students in the Bara district of their English learning histories before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the narrative inquiry approach, this study examines students' accounts as they navigated the transition from face-to-face to online classrooms during a global crisis unprecedented in human history. The study documents the experiences of these students during this transition and examines the difficulties of learning English in various learning environments affected by the pandemic. We used in-depth interviews and reflective accounts from our research participants as data for this study, drawing on the connection between Social Constructivist theory (Vygotsky, 1978) and the digital divide (van Dijk, 2006). A critical data analysis yielded the prevailing themes of access to online materials, emotional resilience, teachers' support, motivation, and learning outcomes. The results highlight the discrepancy in students' learning experiences, the digital divide, and the resilience demonstrated by learners as they adopt online learning. The study contributes to the discourse on emergency education, focusing on transforming students' attitudes towards learning English and creating more flexible, inclusive, and caring learning spaces in post-pandemic higher education contexts.

Home vs School Language Conflict: An Auto-ethnographic Inquiry

Tikaram Poudel — 2025-11-30

Children from minority communities speaking a different home language from the language of instruction at school face multiple forms of social injustice. I explore the experience of a learner who faced learning hardships when the home language was different from the language of instruction at school. Methodologically, I follow the principles of the autoethnographic approach, reflecting on the nuances of my experience navigating the conflict between home and school language disparities. I connect my anecdotal reflections to show the larger social and political mechanisms, such as policies, laws, and power imbalances that sustain and perpetuate these inequalities. Based on my auto-ethnographic anecdotes, I explore the experience of a learner from the theoretical construct of ideological and structural injustice (Fricker, 2007; Fraser, 2010). For this paper, I understand ideological injustice as an unfair treatment of a socially marginalized group by a dominant group based on ideological and social affiliations (Fraser, 2010). It discriminates and further marginalizes members of the socially marginalized group, creating artificial differences in ideas, personal value systems, and social identities, ignoring the intellectual abilities, actions, and characters of marginalized groups. On the other hand, structural injustice arises from deeply rooted social, political, and educational systems (Fricker, 2007). Individuals experience discrimination because of the broader patterns of social inequalities that emerge from social structures, policies and practices (Fraser, 2010), which restrict access to resources and opportunities. This paper contributes to the discourse on language education in the context of South Asia by connecting my reflections to the larger social context for just and inclusive policies. It aims to create awareness to eliminate the challenges of bias and prejudice by dismantling existing underlying social structures and advocating for an equitable and just social system.