Resumen de The issue of plurilingualism and language policy in Azerbaijan
In the last decades, increasing attention has been devoted to the role of socio-cultural identity in the language-learning process. What issues have taken the stage throughout this discussion? What is the relationship between individual, community, and socio-cultural identity in the language-learning process? This article will explore the role of social space and cultural identity in the development of plurilingualism.
The emphasis on successful communication skills, motivated by increasing opportunities for interaction and mobility in Azerbaijan and in the rest of the world, remains important, but globalization and internationalization pose new challenges to social cohesion and integration. Language skills remain essential if individuals are to benefit from opportunities in employment leading to economic mobility, but they are also necessary to participate actively in the social processes. This increasing focus on language policies is reflected in the goals of education for plurilingual and intercultural citizens capable of interacting in a number of languages across linguistic and cultural boundaries.
In this context, this article recalls the main developments in language education policy and practice in Azerbaijan from the early 1990s to the present.
