Language Theories and Educational Practice

This book is written for educators, graduate students of education, and anyone with an interest in the relationship between foundational theories of language and professional practice. The first part of the book contains chapters giving an overview of the central ideas about language within the different fields - structural linguistics, biology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and semiotics. The second part explores the implications of the foundational concepts for practical decision making, including first- and second-language learning, literacy, and communicative disabilities. It concludes with a critical discussion of some central assumptions underlying the theory-practice relationship of language education.