Special Issue for Middle Eastern Research in Language Education and Learning

Submission Deadline: 31 January 2026

Themes include, but are not limited to:

Mother Tongue Education · Bi-/Multilingualism · AI & Language Technologies
Foreign Language Learning · Sociolinguistics · Cognitive Research
Language Teaching & Learning · Psycholinguistics · Language & Society
TESOL / TEFL · Neurolinguistics · Educational Psychology
Applied Linguistics · Semantics & Pragmatics · Discourse & Ideology
Teacher Education · Computational Linguistics · Curriculum Studies

Introduction

The Middle East represents one of the world’s most linguistically, culturally, and educationally complex regions. Shaped by deep historical layers, colonial legacies, migration, conflict, digital transformation, and rapid social change, language education and learning in the Middle East are embedded in dynamic political, cultural, and ideological contexts. Questions of mother tongue instruction, multilingualism, foreign language education, and emerging language technologies are inseparable from broader issues of identity, power, cognition, and educational policy.

This Special Issue on Middle Eastern Research in Language Education and Learning invites scholarly contributions that critically and empirically examine language-related educational practices, theories, and policies across the Middle East and its diasporas. We approach language not merely as a technical skill, but as a social, cognitive, cultural, and political practice deeply intertwined with learning, subject formation, and social transformation.

We particularly welcome interdisciplinary, comparative, and context-sensitive research that brings together linguistics, education, psychology, sociology, cognitive sciences, and digital humanities. Contributions may focus on formal and informal learning environments, school and higher education contexts, teacher education, curriculum design, or technology-mediated language learning, addressing both local realities and transnational dynamics.

Thematic Areas

Submissions may address (but are not limited to) the following thematic clusters:

Language, Society, and Identity

  • Mother tongue education and linguistic rights

  • Multilingualism, diglossia, and language ideologies

  • Language, migration, and diaspora learning contexts

  • Discourse, power, and ideology in educational settings

Language Learning, Cognition, and Psychology

  • Psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic perspectives on learning

  • Cognitive processes in first and additional language acquisition

  • Educational psychology and learner motivation

  • Assessment, literacy, and learning outcomes

Teaching, Curriculum, and Teacher Education

  • Language teaching methodologies in Middle Eastern contexts

  • TESOL, TEFL, and foreign language education

  • Teacher education, professional development, and policy

  • Curriculum studies and textbook analysis

Applied, Computational, and AI-Oriented Linguistics

  • Applied linguistics and classroom-based research

  • AI, computational linguistics, and language technologies

  • Digital learning environments and language apps

  • Ethics, access, and data governance in language technology

Comparative, Regional, and Global Perspectives

  • Comparative studies across Middle Eastern societies

  • Language education in conflict and post-conflict settings

  • Global–local dynamics in language policy and pedagogy

  • Middle Eastern perspectives in global language research

Types of Submissions

We welcome the following types of contributions:

  • Extended Thesis and Dissertation Summaries (approx. 2,000–3,000 words)

  • Full Research Articles (approx. 6,000–7,000 words)

  • Review Articles / Critical Essays (approx. 1,500–3,000 words)

All submissions undergo rigorous editorial screening and single- or double-blind peer review.

Important Dates

  • Submission Deadline: 31 January 2026

  • Notification of Acceptance: Rolling basis

  • Publication of the Special Issue: February 2026

Submission Portal

Submissions can be made directly through our platform:
https://dissertia.ai/journal

We look forward to receiving your contributions.