This text, part of a series published by the Language Policy Division, is significant because it deals with certain influential factors in the organisation and sociolinguistic foundations of language teaching and in the linguistic ideologies at work in problems related to the languages of Europe. It is however part of a larger project since it is one element of a collection of publications focused on the Guide for the Development of Language Education Policies in Europe: From Linguistic Diversity to Plurilingual Education.
This Guide is both a descriptive and programmatic document whose purpose is to demonstrate the complexity of the questions involved in language teaching, often dealt with in a simplistic manner. It aims to describe the processes and conceptual tools needed for the analysis of educational contexts with respect to languages and for the organisation of language learning and teaching according to the principles of the Council of Europe.
Language Policy Division, Council of Europe (2002). PDF.