A Non-Culture-Bound Theory of Language Education

Educational linguistics is a dyadic science. The noun, linguistics, is a broad term which includes neuro-, psycho-, socio-, pragma-, ethno-linguistics and communication studies: areas where national ‘schools’ non longer exist. Educational, on the contrary, is a culture-bound term: language teaching is carried out according to laws which concern syllabi, exams and certifications, the language(s) of instruction, the teaching of the host language to migrant students, teacher training programmes etc. These juridical and administrative acts are meant for the local educational systems. We propose that it is possible to find a number of principles and models (we call them “hypotheses”) which can be accepted by culture-bound educational decision-makers, thus increasing consistency within language teaching and research throughout the world.