In the search of a language pedagogical paradigm

The book’s concept falls within the stream of search for the educational role of language and construction of the individual capital on an individual based on language. The texts included in this book are both of an empirical and theoretical char­acter. They inspire rumination on the problem of the educational role of language at the theoretical level (premises and constructs) and also at the empirical level (experimental settings and practical strategies transferred to the classroom ethnography and situated in various cultures). Thus, the book has a clear innovative potential not only for researchers but also for reflective educators; it prompts a search for the possibilities of constructing developmental language situations by teachers working with students at different educational stages. [...]

The book’s merit is that it invites to discourse authors coming from multiple cultures experiencing cultural pluralism. Referring to the ideas of J. S. Bruner, we can affirm that (language) education is a process immersed in culture. Culture shapes the mind and provides us with a peculiar toolbox thanks to which we construct the image of the world and of ourselves. The formation of a specific Joint Involvement Episode (Schaffer’s concept), achieved by inviting to cooperation authors “immersed” in various cultures, has enabled creation of critical space for the discussion on language issues and a recognition of new conceptual categories. [...]