Introduction 1
Dubious dichotomies and deceptive symmetries 2
The importance of context in language education 9
A discourse perspective 11
Notes 14
1 Educational challenges 15
Of challenges and conditions 15
Challenge as action 21
Challenge as paradox 22
Challenge as dialogue 23
Double-voiced discourse 27
Dialogic breakthrough 28
Notes 31
2 Contexts of speech and social interaction 34
What's in a context? 34
Discourse and culture 47
Contextual shaping 49
Conclusion 67
Notes 68
3 Teaching the spoken language 70
Five case studies 70
Problems and paradoxes 91
Teaching language as(con)text 94
Note 104
4 Stories and discourses 105
Dimensions of particularity 106
Understanding particularity 109
Conclusion 128
Note 129
5 Teaching the literary text 130
Current practices 131
Defining the reader 137
Teaching the narrative 143
Teaching poetry 156
Post-teaching activities 172
Conclusion 175
Notes 176
6 Authentic texts and contexts 177
What is cultural authenticity? 178
The communicative proficiency approach 185
The discourse analysis approach 189
The challenge of multimedia 196
Notes 203
7 Teaching language along the cultural faultline 205
Cultural reality and cultural imagination 207
C2,C2'：reconstructing the C2 context of production and reception 211
C1,C1'：constructing a context of reception in the learner's native culture 216
C1",C2"：in the eyes of others 222
Of bridges and boundaries 223
Notes 232
8 Looking for third places 233
A popular culture 236
A critical culture 239
An ecological culture 247
Conclusion 256
Notes 257
Appendices 260
Bibliography 268
Index 290