Etica nell’approccio, nel metodo, nelle azioni dell’educazione linguistica

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of defining what is good and thus ethically sustainable in language instruction. That is, it analyzes to what extent and how one would engage in an ethical evaluation of approaches, methods, and practices of teaching and learning languages. This evaluation is carried out via the field of study known in Italy--albeit with nuances and meanings that are at times very different--as educazione linguistica, roughly “language instruction.” To undertake an ethical reflection on the actions of language instruction and the sustainability of systems of language teaching methodology, it is first necessary to clearly define language instruction as an interdisciplinary research area and concept, and to identify its key elements and their specific objects of study.