NJES special issue on Teaching literature in Nordic L2 English classrooms, Spring 2027
Over the past three decades, policy in the Nordic countries has emphasised the positive relation between research and teaching—for teacher professionalism, for student outcomes and for school development—and this has led to significant investments in educational research. These have not only bolstered the establishment of English language education research, but also heralded the emergence of the sub-field of literature education in English as a second, additional or foreign language (L2). This sub-field, which is positioned between the humanities and educational science, theorises and empirically investigates the norms, principles and assumptions underlying literature teaching and learning practices. It bridges literary studies with L2 English instruction and thereby provides crucial insights for both teachers and researchers.
This NJES special issue aims to present the latest research on the teaching of literature in English classrooms across primary and secondary education in the Nordic countries. The special issue has a threefold ambition: first, to showcase the breadth and relevance of this sub-field for L2 English education, second, to further the scholarly conversation about the teaching of literature in L2 English across the Nordic countries, and, third, to contribute with research findings that can underpin the research-teaching nexus in Nordic teacher education programmes and school teaching.
We welcome conceptual and empirical contributions on the teaching of literature in L2 English. Submissions employing qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods approaches are welcome. Potential areas of focus include, but are not limited to:
- The purposes, nature and potential of literature instruction (e.g., conceptual studies)
- The conditions for teaching literature (e.g., policy, textbook studies)
- The characteristics of literature instruction (e.g., classroom observation studies)
- Effective teaching designs (e.g., action research, design-based, intervention studies)
- Student and teacher perceptions of literature instruction (e.g., interview, survey studies)
The editors invite expressions of interest for potential inclusion in the special issue by August 31, 2025. Invitations for full manuscripts will be sent to authors by September 15, 2025. Full manuscripts (max 8,000 words, incl. references) will be due to the editors March 15, 2026. All manuscripts will be double-blind peer reviewed.
Please send your expression of interest to Katherina Dodou katherina.dodou@ils.uio.no and Marit Elise Lyngstad marit.lyngstad@inn.no
Submission Guidelines for Expressions of Interest:
Title: A provisional title for the proposed manuscript.
Abstract: A brief abstract (250–300 words) outlining the scope, aims, methodology, and potential contribution of the research.
Key Contributions: A statement (1–2 sentences) summarizing the unique contributions the manuscript is expected to make to the field of L2 English literature education.
Keywords: Include up to five keywords.
Author Information: Name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact details of the author(s).
NORSES 