Project themes

The key areas of the language curriculum that structure the contents of RELANZA represent a concrete pathway for the transfer of knowledge to society. These include the following:

Internationalising the language curriculum, understood as the process by which educational programmes, particularly in the area of foreign/second language teaching, are adapted to incorporate a global perspective and foster students’ intercultural competence. This approach extends beyond language acquisition to include understanding the cultures and international contexts in which the language is spoken. It addresses issues such as cultural diversity, intercultural competence, international collaboration, globalised content, and plurilingual competence development (Banegas, Beacon & Pérez Berbain, 2021; Galindo Merino & Pérez Bernabeu, 2018; John, 2016, 2018, 2019).

Social justice in the language curriculum, understood as the integration of approaches, content, and pedagogical practices that promote equity, diversity, and accessibility for all students –regardless of background, gender, social class, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or other social characteristics. In the language teaching context, social justice aims to ensure equal opportunities for all learners to acquire language skills, while also promoting understanding and mutual respect across different cultures, communities, and perspectives. (Banegas, 2024; Banegas & Sánchez, 2024; Banegas et al., 2024; John, 2023, 2024).

Social justice in the language curriculum, understood as the integration of approaches, content, and pedagogical practices that promote equity, diversity, and accessibility for all students –regardless of background, gender, social class, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or other social characteristics. In the language teaching context, social justice aims to ensure equal opportunities for all learners to acquire language skills, while also promoting understanding and mutual respect across different cultures, communities, and perspectives. (Banegas, 2024; Banegas & Sánchez, 2024; Banegas et al., 2024; John, 2023, 2024).

Digitalisation of language education in the curriculum addresses not only the effective integration of digital technologies to enrich and transform the language learning process, providing access to new resources, but also fosters digital skills, supports personalised learning, and promotes greater interaction among learners from diverse cultural and contextual backgrounds. (Lim & Querol-Julián, 2024; Pérez Bernabeu & Sesmilo Pina, 2021; Querol-Julián, 2021, 2022; Querol-Julián & Crawford, 2019).

Artificial intelligence (AI) in the language curriculum, through a dual focus: first, the use of AI-based technologies to support and enhance language teaching and learning, personalising education, facilitating language practice, and offering new forms of interaction and feedback; second, a critical, ethical use of AI, which involves teaching students not only how to use these tools, but how to do so consciously and responsibly. This promotes the development of critical digital literacy, enabling learners to make informed and responsible decisions in their use of AI for language learning and beyond. (Edo-Marzá & Beltrán-Palanques, forthcoming; Beltrán-Palanques & Querol-Julián, forthcoming).

Artificial intelligence (AI) in the language curriculum, through a dual focus: first, the use of AI-based technologies to support and enhance language teaching and learning, personalising education, facilitating language practice, and offering new forms of interaction and feedback; second, a critical, ethical use of AI, which involves teaching students not only how to use these tools, but how to do so consciously and responsibly. This promotes the development of critical digital literacy, enabling learners to make informed and responsible decisions in their use of AI for language learning and beyond. (Edo-Marzá & Beltrán-Palanques, forthcoming; Beltrán-Palanques & Querol-Julián, forthcoming).

Multimodal literacy in the language curriculum, as an essential component in a world where students engage with a variety of media (texts, images, videos, audio, graphics, etc.). This fosters the ability to interpret and produce content across different modes of communication. Multimodal literacy also involves understanding how digital resources and multimedia platforms enrich the teaching and learning of languages, and how such multimodal approaches help students gain deeper insight not only into the language itself but also into communication more broadly and across cultures. (Beltrán-Palanques, 2023, 2024; Beltrán-Palanques & Edo-Marzá, 2024; Beltrán-Palanques & Querol-Julián, 2024; Edo-Marzá & Fortanet-Gómez, 2024; Querol-Julián, 2024; Querol-Julián & Fortanet-Gómez, 2025).