Thorsten Merse

Thorsten Merse is Professor of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Education at the University of Duisburg-Essen, focusing on Anglophone Literatures and Cultures. His research explores inter- and transcultural learning, cultural diversity, pedagogies of teaching literature, and digital education in EFL. He emphasizes LGBTIQ* diversity and Queer Theory in English language teaching, as well as teachers’ digital competences. He joined UDE in 2021 after positions at the University of Münster (2011–2016) and University of Munich (2016–2021), where he completed his PhD in 2017.

• PhD in English Education (LMU Munich, 2017)
• MA in English and Biology (WWU Münster)

His research combines theoretical and conceptual frameworks, including meta-views on conducting EFL research. Recent work addresses queer pedagogies, global citizenship, and digital textualities. He co-edits publications such as Re-thinking Picturebooks for Intermediate and Advanced Learners (2023) and Global Citizenship in Foreign Language Education (2022). Articles highlight intersections of queer theory, digital education, and cultural diversity in ELT.

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fremdsprachenforschung (DGFF)
• Deutscher Anglistikverband (Beirat)
• International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL)

Merse supervises doctoral candidates like Lena Hertzel (Decolonizing Cultural Learning in EFL) and Albert Biel (Queer Teaching Processes in English). He coordinates interdisciplinary projects under the BMBF-funded Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung and contributes to graduate school initiatives (GKQL). His lab work includes the EFL Lab (formerly SLZ), which integrates digital tools and queer pedagogies into language education.