Brigitta R. Schvarcz, Phd, is an assistant professor of TESOL and Head of the Unit of English as a Foreign Language at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
She has been a teacher educator for the Israeli Ministry of Education’s Department of Professional Development of Teaching Staff for over a decade and served as Chair of the English Teachers’ Association of Israel (2020–2023). She is currently serving as Chair-Elect-Elect (2025–2026) of TESOL International Association’s Teacher Education Interest Section and will assume the role of Chair in 2027.
Her research focuses on English Medium Instruction, language in areas of intractable conflict, linguistic landscape, and the integration of advocacy and social justice in language teaching. Her work explores English as a tool for connection and mutual understanding in Israel-Palestine region, positioning ELT itself as a form of everyday advocacy. Her work is highly practical and teacher-oriented, offering lesson plans and classroom projects that make peace- and multilingual education tangible, serving as everyday acts of advocacy in the classroom. Dr. Schvarcz’s studies demonstrate how multilingual signage and linguistic landscapes can can be used as a pedagogical tool for peace education as well as can empower learners, support inclusive classrooms, and transform schools into spaces that value students’ home languages and cultures. In addition, she examines the challenges of teaching and teacher education in times of war and conflict, highlighting the emotional and professional dimensions of educators’ work in such contexts.
Recent publications:
Schvarcz, B. R., & Warren, A. N. (2025). Creating multilingual schoolscapes in restrictive ELT contexts. ELT Journal, 79(3), 395–403. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccaf028
Schvarcz, B.R. (2025). Reflections of Glocalization in Linguistic Landscape: Insights from English Language Teaching Practice in Israel. In: Wright, N. (eds) Glocalising Approaches to Learning and Teaching English. English Language Education, vol 41. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82139-4_3
Schvarcz, B.R., &Kampen-Hasday, A. (2025). Harnessing the Power of Languages: Enhancing TESOL Classrooms Through Multilingual Linguistic Landscape. In: Raza, K., Uştuk, Ö., Reynolds, D. (eds) Multilingual TESOL: De-constructing and Re-constructing Power 'in,' 'of,' and 'for' Language Classrooms. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-9278-1_15
Schvarcz, B.R., Farfel-Litovsky, A., Gutterman, B., Arram, N., & Stander, R. (2025). What war does to teachers: Navigating emotional labor and pedagogical challenges in times of crisis. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 21(1).
Schlam-Salman, J., & Schvarcz, B. R. (2024). EFL Classrooms as spaces for advocacy acts in areas of intractable conflict. In K. Mastruserio Reynolds, G. M. Mendoza-Chirinos, D. Suarez, O. Effiong, & G. Kormpas (Eds.), Decentering advocacy in English language teaching: Global perspectives and local practices (pp. 147-165). University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12806429
Schlam-Salman J, & Schvarcz, B. R. (2024). Teacher Education during “Unteachable” Times: Teacher Preparation and Induction in Areas of Intractable Conflict and War. Pilgrims The Teacher Trainer 37(1).
Schvarcz, B. R., & Khawaja, A.J. (2022). Linguistic Landscape as a Bridge Towards Peace: Deconstructing the Sign and the Self in the Israel/Palestine Region. In. B. Birch (Ed.) Creating Classrooms of Peace. Routledge. (pp. 117-134). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003147039-12
Khawaja A.J., Jakar V.S., & Schvarcz, B. R. (2021). English as a Mediator for Communication and Understanding: The case of Israel and Palestine. In Raza, K., Coombe, C., & Reynolds, D. (Eds). Policy development in TESOL and multilingualism: past, present and the way forward. Springer. (pp. 217-230). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3603-5_17