Prof. Dr. Raphaëlle Beecroft

Juniorprofessorin für Fachdidaktik Englisch für die Grundschule

Büro F 146
Research and Teaching Focus
Publications

Research and Teaching Focus

In my teaching and research, I focus on how English as a subject can remain meaningful and relevant in a digital and globally connected world. My work explores how children’s everyday encounters with English can enrich classroom learning, how language awareness can empower young learners, and how multilingualism can be valued as a resource.

My research priorities include Democracy Education in the English primary classroom, embodied through transformative formats such as Challenge-Based and Service-Learning, which integrate global themes, for example Sustainable Development, at the local level. Within this context, I investigate the operationalisation of the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture's Descriptors for young learners as a tool both for lesson planning and formative assessment. I furthermore focus on diversity and linguistic justice in the primary English and billingual classroom and in university teaching, in particular in the area of prospective teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards their language proficiency, especially in the context of English as a lingua franca and students' potential multilingual backgrounds. Further research foci include self-regulation in the primary English classroom as well as exploring the use of Virtual Reality, AI and Virtual Exchange to facilitate transcultural learning.

In my teaching, I support future English teachers in becoming confident, reflective, creative, and inclusive practitioners. I integrate virtual exchange formats to connect students with peers in other sociocultural contexts.

I am committed to strengthening internationalisation, expanding cooperation and blended mobility opportunities.