Advancing language teacher education : a multi-book review

Abstract

Language teacher education is at a critical juncture and requires a profound transformation. As the landscape of language teaching continues to evolve, driven by the tension between globalisation and deglobalisation, technological advancements, and shifting socio-political paradigms, the need for innovative and responsive teacher education has never been greater (Ying et al., 2025). Educators today must navigate increasingly diverse classrooms, harness digital tools effectively, and engage with complex pedagogical challenges that extend beyond traditional teaching methodologies (East, 2022; Lee et al., 2024). Additionally, the growing emphasis on equity, social justice, and critical approaches to language education demands a re-evaluation of how teachers are trained and supported in their professional journeys (Banegas et al., 2024). Language teacher education is a vital and dynamic field that needs to continuously adapt to meet the needs of multilingual and multicultural classrooms (Morea & Fisher, 2023). In acknowledgement of this idea, the four edited volumes reviewed in this article provide a comprehensive and multifaceted exploration of contemporary language teacher education, addressing both its theoretical underpinnings and practical implications. These works examine essential issues such as teacher autonomy, bilingual and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) pedagogies, digital innovation, identity formation, and critical perspectives on language teaching. After outlining the content and implications of each one, this article assesses the key themes that can be distilled from the four books. These themes underline the significance of advancing language teacher education so as to equip educators with the pedagogical expertise, technological proficiency, and critical awareness needed to navigate diverse classrooms, foster inclusive and equitable learning environments, and effectively respond to the evolving linguistic and sociocultural demands of the 21st century.