Reflective writing as dialogue: Fostering teen agency and subjectivity in English language learning

Reflective writing as dialogue: Fostering teen agency and subjectivity in English language learning

At this year’s Future of English Language Teaching (FoELT) conference, Daniela Rothwell explored how reflective writing and dialogic teaching can help teenage learners develop confidence, voice and agency in the English language classroom.

Daniela Rothwell is a DProf student in TESOL at the University of St Andrews and an experienced educator based in the Czech Republic. She teaches English at a Cambridge International School and serves on the ITE accreditation committee for the Czech Ministry of Education.

Before moving into international education, Daniela worked as a Lecturer in Education and Assistant Headteacher at a London primary school. Her research focuses on dialogic teaching, pupil voice and inclusive strategies for multilingual and minority ethnic learners.

Teaching beyond outcomes

Daniela began by questioning the dominance of standardised, outcome-driven approaches to language education. While exam performance and measurable results are often prioritised, she argued that English lessons can also serve as spaces for personal growth, reflection and self-expression.

Drawing on Gert Biesta’s concept of subjectification, she proposed that education should not only produce competent users of English, but thoughtful individuals capable of forming opinions, expressing emotions and engaging meaningfully with the world.

Reflection as dialogue

Central to Daniela’s approach is the idea that learning is a dialogue, not a one-way transfer of knowledge. Through carefully structured classroom conversations, teenage learners can explore themes such as identity, culture and global issues.

These dialogues then become the foundation for reflective writing. Learners write not only to practise grammar or vocabulary, but to express their perspectives, explore personal experiences and connect learning to their lives.

Daniela described how reflective writing helps students to:

• Find their voice and develop confidence in expressing opinions
• Engage emotionally and intellectually with classroom topics
• Question assumptions and think critically about their world

Practical classroom strategies

Daniela shared a series of practical strategies that make reflection and dialogue achievable in secondary classrooms. These included:

• Starting with open-ended questions that invite opinion and personal experience
• Using dialogic circles where learners listen and respond to one another respectfully
• Encouraging learners to keep reflective journals that link class themes to their own lives
• Modelling how to move from spoken ideas to written reflection

She showed examples of learner writing that revealed genuine curiosity, personal insight and emotional engagement. Many learners, she noted, began to write with greater fluency and depth once they realised that their own thoughts and stories mattered.

The impact on learner agency

Through this dialogic approach, learners begin to see English not only as a subject to master, but as a tool for meaning-making. Reflective writing allows them to take ownership of their learning and to view themselves as participants in conversations that matter.

Daniela explained that when learners are encouraged to express their views, they feel seen and valued, which in turn increases motivation and self-efficacy. This sense of agency transforms language learning into a more inclusive, human and empowering process.

Creating space for subjectivity

Daniela’s session also addressed the role of the teacher in creating the right conditions for reflective learning. Teachers need to:

• Model openness and curiosity
• Provide time and space for dialogue and reflection
• Acknowledge learners’ individual voices rather than steering them toward a single “correct” answer

By following these steps, teachers position language education as a place where learners can explore who they are and how they relate to others. They can therefore use English as a medium for thought, creativity and personal growth.

Key takeaways

Final thought

Daniela’s session was a reminder that English language learning is most powerful when it helps young people connect with ideas, emotions and one another. By integrating dialogue and reflection into teaching, educators can nurture not only language proficiency, but thoughtful, expressive and engaged learners who use English to make sense of their world.