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Modern Languages in the School Curriculum: a philosophical view
Author(s) -
WILLIAMS KEVIN
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of philosophy of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.501
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1467-9752
pISSN - 0309-8249
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9752.1991.tb00645.x
Subject(s) - curriculum , argument (complex analysis) , foreign language , inclusion (mineral) , sociology , philosophy of education , epistemology , mathematics education , education theory , pedagogy , psychology , philosophy , social science , higher education , political science , law , biochemistry , chemistry
This article is based on an analysis of two types of argument, called utilitarian and educational respectively, which are commonly used to justify the teaching of modern/foreign languages in schools. Serious flaws are identified in the utilitarian arguments often employed to defend the teaching of modern languages and different educational arguments which might be offered as justification for their inclusion in the school curriculum are distinguished and appraised. The paper concludes with a consideration of the implications of the foregoing analysis for the place of modern languages in the school curriculum.