Mariano Quinterno

Mariano is a graduate teacher of English from Instituto Superior del Profesorado “Dr. Joaquín V. González”. He has also done a post-graduate course in Education at Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. He holds an M.A. in Applied Linguistics to the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language, Universidad de Jaén, Spain. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Education (Programa Interuniversitario de Doctorado, UNTREF, UNLa, UNSAM). He is a lecturer in Language II and III at Instituto Nacional Superior del Profesorado Técnico, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. He teaches American Literature and Didactics at Instituto Superior del Profesorado “Dr. Joaquin V. Gonzalez.” He is a tenured teacher at Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires. He has co-authored the book Construyendo puentes hacia otras lenguas: reflexiones sobre la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras en la escuela media (La Crujía, 2009) and co-edited the book Queer Studies in English Language Education (Brill, 2025). He has lectured on ELT methodology in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, Perú, Paraguay and Uruguay.

From Apathy to Engagement: Developing Participatory Democracy Through Language Education.

In an era marked by discourses favouring individualism and social disengagement, language classrooms hold untapped potential as sites for the development of active citizenship. This presentation explores how English language education can function as a catalyst for community awareness, empathy development and participatory action. Drawing on critical and inclusive pedagogies, this session will provide practical idea through which English language teachers can encourage their learners to engage critically with social issues, express their voices, and participate meaningfully in constructing democratic dialogue.