Dear Colleagues,

 

What is language? What is culture? These questions have been addressed by many philosophers. Both language and culture stand as pivotal forces that shape our cognition, thoughts, identities, and societies. Our societies have become increasingly multilingual and multicultural due to increased mobility and migration in the era of globalization. In this light, it is imperative for us to find the right ways to solve social issues rooted in linguistic and cultural differences in our societies and make our schools, workplaces, and communities inclusive. But how? What stands as essential is a comprehensive grasp of the ontology underpinning language and culture. What is language? Is language merely a set of codes and grammatical rules? How does language evolve and develop? What does language do to the development of our thoughts and learning? What does it do to an individual’s identities and to our societies? How are languages learned? Is a bilingual person two monolinguals in one? What is needed to make our education systems inclusive when students’ language backgrounds are diverse? Similarly, what is culture? Is culture merely a set of traditions and customs? How do cultures crystallize, and what roles do they play in our lives and societies? How should each community deal with diverse cultures within it? Additionally, what is the relationship between language and culture? What does intercultural communication mean? What can we do to foster meaningful intercultural communication in schools and colleges? For this collection, we invite research articles and reviews that provide insights encompassing any philosophical viewpoints into the nature of language, culture, or the relationship between the two.

Language, learning, multilingualism, hybridity, identity, semiotic systems, modality of communication, culture, intercultural communication, translation, diversity, inclusion, education