Constructivist epistemology and second/foreign language pedagogy

Although arguably implicit in many contemporary discussions about communicative language teaching, and often embodied in actual FL teaching practice, constructivist approaches to epistemology and learning theory have only recently, and relatively rarely, been explicitly examined in terms of their implications for L2 teaching and learning. This article provides an overview of the core assumptions and concepts of constructivism, and then discusses some of the ways in which constructivism can inform and promote effective pedagogical practice, as well as a better understanding of such practice, in the FL context.