Dr Leticia Yulita is a language teaching practitioner with an established national and international reputation as a leading specialist in intercultural education, committed to championing internationalisation and decolonisation. She holds the position of Associate Dean International for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of East Anglia, where she teaches Spanish and Intercultural Communication to undergraduate and postgraduate students. As part of her scholarship activities, she also works with language teaching practitioners from around the world.
Leticia created a research-informed pedagogical approach that goes beyond the ‘instrumental’, ‘linguistic’ and ‘utilitarian’ purpose of learning and teaching a language and embeds ‘internationalisation-at-home’ strategies in the education of learners. The most striking part of her approach is the combination of intercultural citizenship education with compassion, empathy, kindness, solidarity, care and forgiveness in transnational virtual exchange projects.
Through her work, Leticia empowers students to help progress the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by using the language(s) they are learning to instigate social and cultural change. This particular focus has been recognised as enriching language learning and teaching in ways which had not previously been documented in the literature. Her novel and unique approach has influenced thinking in the field of language and intercultural education with major curricular accomplishments in Uzbekistan and Argentina, where she was distinguished with awards in recognition of her exceptional high-impact work.
Leticia addressed systemic racism by leading on the development of a national manifesto for ‘decolonising language teaching’ on behalf of the Association of University Language Communities (AULC) in the UK and Ireland. She is also a fervent advocate for gender equality, supporting women in the language teaching profession to become transformational leaders. She has also received high level recognition for her outstanding innovative work with a University Teaching Fellowship, three Excellence in Teaching Awards, a UEA Achievement Engagement Award and Advance HE Senior Fellowship.