Language, Education and Discourse: Functional Approaches

This collection of essays by leading functional linguists presents the latest perspectives on language and discourse in educational settings. The book questions the idea of 'discourse' to reveal that the social processes of learning are imbued with the ideologies of the society and education system within which learning takes place. The contributors take into account the historical and cross-cultural perspectives of both classroom practices and the student's own awareness of the ideological meanings of language activities. Language, Education and Discourse is divided into two sections. Part one covers early childhood and the growing development of a language system from the basic semiotic system of the infant. This is followed by an analysis of the beginnings of literacy in kindergarten, the introduction to writing in primary school and the ideological content of reading material. Part two furthers this analysis by looking at discourse in secondary and tertiary education. The contributors pose questions about the role and importance of teaching grammar in the school system, and finally examine how to refine the discourse of education. This book will be useful to academics interested in the latest functional perspectives on language as it is used in education.