Language Game of Language Education: Instructional Talk, Pedagogical Aids, and Communication

Abstract

This research aimed to determine the professional codes in language education using Wittgenstein's concept of a language game. It is a qualitative inquiry by nature as it uses content and textual analysis as its main research methodologies. Specifically, it analyzed the manifestations of professional codes in the teaching and learning process, pedagogical aids or instructional materials, and the communications used in this field of specialization. Furthermore, textual evidence or extraction of manifestations of a certain code of communication was systematically done vis-à-vis the presuppositions of the actions and behavior of the speakers to reveal sets of words, phrases, and elementary propositions or codes of communication. The study found out that the language game of language education is, indeed, distinct from other disciplines in terms of lexicon and locution, syntactical constructions, semantic associations, and pragmatic implication. Essentially, the professional codes in language education in terms of lexicon and locution are described as communication-oriented, education-related, and language-focused. With regard to syntactical constructions, the identified codes of communication were described to have a complex structure and multidimensional functions. In terms of the pragmatic domain, it was found that there was a hegemony of directives and expressives in the field of language education. Nevertheless, to gain a more comprehensive analysis of the language game of this field, documents other than what is utilized in this research and more aspects of analysis should also be considered to fully reveal the language game used in language education.