Kielen oppimisen virtauksia ja pedagogiikan pyörteitä : näkökulmia tutkimukseen ja laajeneviin oppimisympäristöihin

Abstract

In this introduction to the Yearbook of the Finnish Association for Applied Linguistics (AFinLA), we outline current theoretical flows in research on language learning and teaching. Recently, phenomena such as multilingualism, increasing migration, multimodality and the emergence of technologically-mediated learning environments have led researchers of L2 learning and pedagogy to reconsider central notions in their fields. In current theorization of language learning, conceptualizations of language, learning, learners and the world they inhabit increasingly emphasize the dynamic and situated nature of the learning process. In outlining this changing theoretical landscape, we draw on the three keynote presentations at the 2014 AFinLA Autumn Symposium, given by professors Lourdes Ortega (Georgetown University), Elizabeth Lanza (University of Oslo) and Paula Kalaja (University of Jyväskylä), and at the same time introduce the individual contributions to this volume, which are based on presentations given at the symposium. We conclude by reflecting on how the changing landscape of language education challenges both educational practitioners and researchers to construct and critically investigate new kinds of learning environments.