About the Journal

The Journal of English for Social Empowerment (JESE) is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal dedicated to exploring the transformative role of English language learning and teaching in advancing equity, empowerment, and social development, particularly in underrepresented, multilingual, and culturally diverse contexts.

Published by the R.I.E. Foundation, JESE serves as a platform for interdisciplinary scholarship and reflective practice that critically engages with how English functions as both a global language and a tool for localized change. The journal seeks to amplify perspectives from Southeast Indonesia, especially South Sulawesi, while remaining open to contributions from other regions and nations with shared educational and sociolinguistic realities.

JESE is committed to advancing research that bridges classroom practice, policy, and community empowerment. It encourages submissions that challenge linguistic hierarchies, promote inclusivity, and highlight the lived experiences of learners and educators engaging with English in marginal, multilingual, or resource-constrained environments.

Scope

JESE welcomes empirical research, theoretical explorations, classroom-based innovations, and field reports on (but not limited to) the following themes:

  • English as a means of empowerment for marginalized groups (e.g., women, rural youth, minority communities)

  • English in community education, literacy campaigns, and NGO-led programs

  • Learner identity, motivation, and voice in English learning

  • Critical pedagogy and social justice in English language education

  • Participatory and locally-driven English curriculum design

  • English for civic engagement, activism, and interfaith/intercultural dialogue

  • The politics of English and linguistic equity in multilingual societies

  • Gender, class, and power in English classroom interaction

  • Action research and reflective teaching in low-resource or rural ELT contexts

  • English for resilience and recovery in post-disaster or post-conflict education

Types of Contributions

JESE accepts:

  • Original research articles (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods)

  • Practice-based reports and teacher narratives

  • Critical essays and theoretical explorations

  • Community-based project evaluations

  • Policy analyses related to English education and empowerment

  • Book and media reviews relevant to the journal’s themes

Target Audience

  • Language and literacy educators

  • TESOL/ELT researchers and teacher educators

  • Community educators and NGO practitioners

  • Graduate students in English education, applied linguistics, and development studies

  • Policymakers interested in language, equity, and education

Language Policy

Submissions are accepted in English only. The journal aims to support inclusive access to publication and welcomes multilingual voices in both content and research focus.

Editorial Ethos

JESE is guided by principles of inclusivity, reflexivity, and grounded scholarship. It prioritizes work that values ethical engagement with communities and places learners’ realities at the center of inquiry.