Introduction
Like other kinds of teaching, language education is fundamentally and, some would argue, primarily moral in nature. By “moral,” we mean that it involves crucial yet difficult and ambiguous beliefs and decisions about what is right and good for learners and others. The moral dimensions of teaching inhere in certain key facts. First, all teaching aims to change people; there is an implicit assumption that this change is for the better. Second, there are limitations on the degree to which science, research, and objective facts about teaching and learning can guide teachers in the decisions they make; the great majority of teachers’ work in actual classrooms has to be based on teachers’ beliefs about what is right and good for their learners—that is to say, it is rooted in moral values. Third, like any relations between human beings, relations between a teacher and her students are moral in nature, revolving around key issues such as trust and respect. The innate power...
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References
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Johnston, B., Buzzelli, C.A. (2008). The Moral Dimensions of Language Education. In: Hornberger, N.H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30424-3_8
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