Term Ontogenesis in Educational Research Discourse: Focus on Term “Language”

The paradigm shifts from the individual dimension to the social dimension of term ontogenesis in educational research discourse. The aim of the study is to analyze results of the ontogenesis of the term “language” in educational research discourse. The meaning of key concepts of “term” and “ontogenesis” is studied. Moreover, the study demonstrates how the key concepts are related to the idea of “concept development” and shows a potential model for development, indicating how the steps of the process are related following a logical chain: “term” definition → “ontogenesis” definition → educational research discourse → exploratory study. The present research was conducted to analyze the ontogenesis of the term “language” in the educational research discourse up to 2012. The findings of the research allow drawing the conclusion that the term “language” has transformed into “language activity”, then “languaging” and, later, “language studies” in educational research discourse. Directions of further studies are proposed.