Vertr. -Prof. Dr. Raphaelle Beecroft

Research Interests

• Comtemporising Primary English Language Teaching 
  • Promoting and valuing diversity 
  • Democracy Education
  • Plurilingualism 
  • Digitalisation
  • Game-Based Approaches
  • Drama-Based Approaches
• The implementation of the RFCDC and its portfolio in teacher training and primary and secondary education
• Virtual Exchange
• Informal Second Language Learning of primary school children and its potential for CLIL
• The professionalisation of the performance of the English teacher persona
• Self-Experiments as a means of fostering ICC and competences for democratic culture.
• The linguistic dimension of Intercultural Communicative Competence
• Translation as a form of intercultural communication in foreign language pedagogy
• Translation Studies 
• English as an International Language and its pedagogy
• Drama methods in foreign language pedagogy
• Task-Based Language Learning in English teacher education

Recent talks and workshops:

• 5.12.24 Poster Presentation: Transformatives Lernen durch Selbstexperimente: Ein Methodentransfer aus den Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften in die Lehrer:innenbildung. Inauguration of the Karlsruhe School of Education, Karlsruhe.
• 21.7.24  Invited Presenter: Muslim Arts and Culture Festival Panel: Afghani Women Artists: Freedom of Expression through Art – Hello from Afghanistan! Manchester, UK [online].
• 8.7.24  An Action-Research Approach to Redeveloping a Pre-Service English Teacher ‘Linguistics for the Classroom’ Seminar under the Global Englishes Language Teaching Paradigm. Association for Language Awareness Congress, Karlsruhe University of Education.
• 07.07.24  Early-Career Researcher Workshop. With Ass. Prof. Dr. Agneta Svalberg. Association for Language Awareness Congress, Karlsruhe University of Education.
• 07.06.24   This is a controller. Das kenn‘ ich vom Zocken! Englisch im Alltag und in der Grundschule. Invited Workshop: Fachtag Fremdsprachen in der Grundschule, Karlsruhe University of Education.
• 18.04.24  Charting the development of the intercultural (communicative) competence of internationally mobile students through their visual content on Instagram. Talk with Carla Clouet-Perez, doctoral student. CULTNET Meeting. Durham University School of Education, Durham, UK.
• 21.03.24  Employing asynchronous virtual exchange to promote democratic competences in primary EFL: An international comparative action-research study. Talk with Abe, M. CULTNET Values SIG [online].

• 03.12.23   Engaging with Strangeness through Intercultural Self-Experiments in Germany and Japan - Finding Alternative Countermeasures Against Global Crises by Stepping out of One’s Comfort Zone. Talk mit Abe, M. IALIC International Conference, Rethinking intercultural communication beyond verbal language: affect, materiality and embodiment in times of ‘crises’. European University of Cyprus. Nicosia, Cyprus.

• 01.12.23  Asynchronous Virtual Exchange in the Elementary English Classroom. Invited Speaker for the Erasmus+ Project INVITED kick-off event, Freiburg University of Education.

• 09.11.23 Translation through Telecollaboration: The Challenges and Opportunities of Machine Translation to Foster Intercultural Competences. Talk with Clouet, R. 46th AEDEAN Conference. Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
• 08.10.23  Employing Asynchronous Virtual Exchange to Promote Democratic Competences in Primary EFL: An International Comparative Research study.Talk with Abe, M. IAIE Conference, Children as Peacemakers in Divided Societies: Educational Approaches. War Childhood Museum, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• 06.10.23 Der asynchrone virtuelle Austausch als Zugang zu Demokratieerziehung im Englischunterricht der Grundschule. Invited speaker for the  E-LINGO Master presence phase, Freiburg University of Education.
• 27.-29.09.23  Selbstexperimente zur Förderung interkultureller und demokratischer Kompetenzen: Ein transdisziplinärer Ansatz. Poster. 30 DGFF Congress. Freiburg University of Education.
• 21.06.23  Der Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Cultures und die Anpassung seiner Deskriptoren für den Englischunterricht der Grundschule: Ein internationales Aktionsforschungsprojekt. Invited speaker: ‚Ateliergespräche‘ Institute for Research Methods in Educational Sciences, Karlsruhe University of Education.
• 21.04.23  Trilingual Telecollaborative Translation: Exploring the Potential of Developing ICC through New Technologies. Talk with Clouet, R., Bauer, P., Johnson, P., Escudero-Baztan, L. CULTNET Meeting. Durham University School of Education, Durham, UK.
• 19.4.23: Self-Experiments as a Transformative and Reflexive Process: Applying a concept from Sustainability Studies to Intercultural Language Learning. CULTNET Meeting. Durham University School of Education, Durham, UK.
• 30.3.23: Employing Asynchronous Virtual Exchange to Promote Democratic Competences in Primary EFL: An International Comparative Action-Research Study. Diversity in the Digital Foreign Language Classroom International Conference. Professional School of Education Stuttgart Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany.
• 13.1.23: The Development of the Primary Teacher Persona through Hybrid Performative Formats. TEFL 8. CETAPS, FCSH, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Online.

Upcoming Publications:

Schauer, G.A., Beecroft, R. (2025). An arts-based approach to pragmatic instruction: using graphic novels, drama and drawing to teach basic speech acts in young EFL learners. In: Myrset, A., Kogetsidis, M., Savic, M., Schauer, G.A. [Eds.]: L2 Pragmatics and Young Language Learners. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Publications:

Monograph:

Beecroft, R. (2022) The Performativity of the Intercultural Speaker: Promoting Savoir Agir through Improvisational Tasks. Kolloquium Fremdsprachenunterricht. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

Book chapters:

Abe, M., Beecroft, R. (2023). The Development of an Elementary English Teacher Leadership Identity: Reflections on a Telecollaborative Exchange Between Pre-Service English Teachers in Japan and Germany. In: Egitim, S., Umemiya, Y. [Hrsg.]. Leaderful Classroom Pedagogy Through a Multidisciplinary Lens: Merging Theory with Practice. Berlin: Springer Nature.

Beecroft, R., Bauer, P. (2022) Virtual Exchange during the Pandemic and Beyond: The Potential of a Telecollaborative Translation Course for Fostering Competences Required of Future Language Teachers. In: Giannikas, C. [Ed.]. Transferring Language Teaching and Learning and Teaching from Face-to-Face to Online Settings. Hershey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global.

Beecroft, R. (2015), Mündlichkeit durch Improvisationstheater im Fremdsprachenunterricht: Eine Aktionsforschungstudie zum Empowerment von Lehrkräften. In: S. Méron-Minuth/S. Özkul (Hrsg.). Fremde Sprachen lehren und lernen. Aktuelle Fragen und Forschungsaufgaben. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Edition.

Beecroft, R. (2014): Improvisational Theatre in the EFL Classroom: Teacher-Researcher Collaboration as In-Service Teacher Training. In: von Carlsburg, G-B. & Vogel, T. (Hrsg.). Bildungswissenschaften und akademisches Selbstverständnis in einer globalisierten Welt. Baltische Studien zur Erziehungs- und Sozialwissenschaft. Band 28. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Verlag.

Beecroft, R. (2013). From ‘Intercultural Speaker’ to ‘Intercultural Writer’: Towards a new understanding of translation in foreign language teaching. In: Tsagari, D. & Floros, G. (Hrsg.). Translation in Language Teaching and Assessment. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press.

Special Issue:

Mourão, S., Beecroft, R. [Hrsg.] (December 2024): Filling the void: Teaching and assessing children’s intercultural communicative competence. Special Issue: Language Teaching for Young Learners Journal. John Benjamins, https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl 

Journal Articles:

Mourão, S., Beecroft, R. (2024): Young Language Learners and the Intercultural Domain. Emerging Perspectives. Filling the void: Teaching and assessing children’s intercultural communicative competence. Special Issue: Language Teaching for Young Learners Journal. John Benjamins, https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl. 

Abe, M., Beecroft, R. (2024). Fostering primary students’ competences for democratic culture in EFL The PEACE project. Language Teaching for Young Learners. https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl.00055.abe.

Abe, M., Beecroft, R. (2023). Experiencing the 'in-between' through telecollaboration: Creating “ideal inclusive schools” in multicultural pre-service English teacher-teams. Journal of Intercultural Communication. SIETAR Japan. (26/2023).

Vogt, K., Beecroft, R. (2014), Englisch lernen durch Improvisationstheater: Mündliche Sprachleistungen im Fremdsprachenunterricht – ein neuer Ansatz. In: Daktylos: Bildungswissenschaftliches Magazin der Pädagogischen Hochschule Heidelberg (19/2014), 30-31.

Practical Transfer

Beecroft, R. (2024). How to tailor your talk to any situation. Language Awareness: Critical incidents in einer Serie reflektieren. Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch (190/58), 33-38.

Beecroft, R., David, E. (2024) Can you come to my party? Authentische Sprachmittlungsaufgaben durchführen und bewerten. In: Grundschule Englisch (87/2024).

Beecroft, R. (2023). English in Action: Wortschatzarbeit durch Improvisation. In: Grundschule Englisch. Hannover: Friedrich Verlag.

Beecroft, R., Capek, M. (2022). Initiating Intercultural Communicative Competence Through Digital Media: Das Cultures Connect International Pen Pal Project. In: Grundschule Englisch (79/2022). Seelze: Friedrich Verlag, 26-29.

Beecroft, R. (2015), 100 Ways to Say “I'm sorry”: Mit Improvisationsaufgaben pragmatic competence fördern. In: Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch (138/2015). Seelze: Friedrich Verlag, 12-17.

Employment:

Since October 2023: Chair of the English Department and Institute Head, Institute for Multilingualism, Karlsruhe University of Education.

Since April 2023: Vertretungsprofessorin (interim Professor) for Linguistics and English Language Pedagogy at Karlsruhe University of Education.

September 2021 - March 2023: Primary school teacher for English, Albert-Schweitzer-Schule Muggensturm, Johann-Peter-Hebel Schule Bruchsal.

Since November 2014: Akademische Mitarbeiterin (teacher educator and researcher) in English Language Pedagogy at Karlsruhe University of Education.

10. 2012 - 9.2014: Secondary school teacher for English, Integrierte Gesamtschule Mannheim-Herzogenried, Internationale Gesamtschule Heidelberg.

9. 2012 - 9. 2014:  Akademische Mitarbeiterin in English Language Pedagogy at Heidelberg University of Education as part of the "Initiating, Eliciting and Assessing Oral Production" research project. 

02.2012 - 09.2012: Maternity Leave.

12.2010 - 08.2010: Maternity Leave.

2009 - 2012: Lektorin and Akademische Mitarbeiterin in English Language Pedagogy at Karlsruhe University of Education.

Education:

2012-2020 PhD Thesis
The Performativity of the Intercultural Speaker: Mainstreaming Improvisational Tasks as an Action-Oriented Framework  for the Lower Secondary English Classroom. A Longitudinal, Mixed-Methods Action-Research Study. First supervisor: Prof. Dr. Karin Vogt, Second supervisor: Prof. Dr. Andreas Müller-Hartmann, Heidelberg University of Education: magna cum laude (1.5)

2006 – 2008  M.A. Sprache, Kultur, Translation (Language, Culture and Translation)
Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz in Germersheim, Final grade: Sehr gut (Distinction).

2000-2004 B.A. Joint Honours German and Spanish 

University of Leeds/UK, Final grade: First with Distinction in Spoken German, Spoken Spanish. Semester abroad at Leipzig University, year abroad as a language assistant in Murcia, Spain.

1988-2000 St Christopher School
Letchworth, UK. 4 A-Levels in German, Spanish, French and English, all grade A.