Hoe kun je leerlingen en studenten leren redeneren over taalkundige onderwerpen en verschijnselen? In Nederland is die vraag met name met het oog op het nieuwe curriculum Nederlands relevanter dan ooit. Ook internationaal gezien bestaat er een grote behoefte aan meer inzicht in dit onderwerp. Om die reden brengt het tijdschrift Language and Education in 2026 een special issue uit met empirisch onderzoek over taalkundig redeneren in het L1-onderwijs, onder redactie van dr. Jimmy van Rijt (Universiteit Utrecht) en prof. dr. Kristin Denham (Western Washington University). Hieronder plaatsen we de oproep zoals die op de website van Language and Education te vinden is. Onderzoekers met interesse in dit thema kunnen voor meer informatie contact opnemen met de guest editors. Zie ook: https://think.taylorandfrancis.com/special_issues/linguistic-reasoning-in-language-education/

Special issue ‘Linguistic reasoning in language education’

Introduction

Many L1 language curricula worldwide expect students to acquire a certain degree of linguistic understanding (Boivin et al., 2018; Denham & Lobeck, 2010). This includes understanding language as a system as well as understanding social, historical and cognitive aspects of language. Traditionally, this understanding is justified as a means to enhance students’ language skills. However, a growing body of research recognizes the intrinsic value of linguistic understanding, independent of its contribution to literacy development (Hudson, 2004; Sheehan et al., 2021; Van Rijt & Coppen, 2021; Trotzke & Kupisch, 2020). This perspective is rooted in the belief that language is fundamental to the human experience, justifying its inclusion in the curriculum purely on its own merits. Linguistic knowledge can thus be considered a form of powerful knowledge—disciplinary knowledge that transcends everyday understanding and helps learners develop a more conscious perspective on the world (Young, 2013). Modern linguistics offers such disciplinary knowledge for language education, and there are growing calls to find ways in which linguistics can be introduced into education (e.g., Corr & Pineda, 2023; Denham & Lobeck, 2010; Razfar & Rumenapp, 2014; Van Rijt et al., 2019).
Despite the recognized importance of linguistics in language education, there is a notable lack of empirical research on how to effectively integrate linguistic concepts into language curricula. Additionally, there is considerable uncertainty on the question of how students can achieve a deep understanding of these concepts. Recent research has started to address this gap by focusing on students’ linguistic reasoning abilities— ‘[activities] in which a student organizes information about language or linguistics in order to describe, compare and/or explain linguistic phenomena’ (Banga & Van Rijt, 2023) partly relying on general reasoning skills, and partly using subject-specific ways of reasoning, including asking linguistic questions, using linguistic sources, using linguistic repertoire and linguistic (meta)concepts (see Dielemans & Coppen, 2021; Van Rijt, 2024). This research is consistent with initiatives in various educational fields that explore subject-specific reasoning, e.g., studies on literary reasoning (Van Keulen & Spotti, 2024), historical reasoning (Van Drie & Van Boxtel, 2008) and social-scientific reasoning (Klijnstra et al., 2023). Such subject-specific reasoning studies reflect a shared assumption, that students’ critical thinking skills are most effectively cultivated within subject-specific contexts (Moore, 2004).

The special issue

Recent studies have empirically explored different aspects of linguistic reasoning, including linguistic inquiry (Denham, 2020; Honda & O’ Neil, 2007) the role of linguistic metaconcepts in linguistic reasoning (Van Rijt et al., 2020, 2022), linguistic reasoning quality in teacher education (Brøseth & Nygard, 2023; Van Rijt et al., 2021) and the role of cognitive load in processing different types of linguistic arguments (Van Rijt et al., 2024). However, high-quality empirical research into linguistic reasoning remains scarce, and is so far largely confined to a limited group of researchers, as well as to the linguistic domain of syntax. The current special issue aims to advance our understanding of linguistic reasoning processes, and is a fully open call for interested academics to contribute.

Editor bio’s

dr. Jimmy van Rijt is an associate professor of language and education and a teacher educator at the department of languages, literature and communication at Utrecht University. He has conducted several studies into the topics of linguistic reasoning and the conceptual understanding of linguistic concepts. He is a member of the Association for Research in L1 Education (ARLE), and serves as editor for the journal L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature. He is also an editorial board member for the journal Pedagogical Linguistics.
prof. dr. Kristin Denham is professor of linguistics and chair of the Department of Linguistics at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. She teaches courses on syntax, grammar, and linguistics in education and strives to integrate inclusive pedagogical practices into all of her teaching. Kristin’s scholarship has long focused on making linguistics accessible, whether that is to her own students, to primary and secondary students, or to a more general audience.
Submission instructions
Based on previous research, the special issue is specifically interested in contributions focusing on:
• The role of linguistic (meta)concepts and metalanguage in students’ linguistic reasoning, including the thresholds and misconceptions they need to conquer to obtain linguistic understanding;
• Students’ or student teachers’ linguistic reasoning processes, including how they ask linguistic questions, consult linguistic sources and build up linguistic argumentation;
• The role of students’ epistemic cognition and general language awareness in the reasoning process (Wijnands et al., 2021);
• The relationship between linguistic understanding and literacy development, for example in connecting grammar to writing;
• Linguistic reasoning in other domains than syntax, such as phonology, morphology or pragmatics;
• Development of simple linguistic reasoning skills and linguistic understanding in young learners (e.g., primary school level), and what those young learners’ cognitive limits are in obtaining such understanding;
• Linguistic reasoning at the university level for future linguists (how to develop expert reasoning skills?);
• Development of scientific thinking when working with linguistic data;
• Conceptual replications of previous studies on linguistic reasoning, to strengthen the empirical base.
The editors welcome contributions to this special issue from different educational and linguistic regions. While we specifically request high-quality empirical research, we do not champion any particular research methodologies. Ideally, the special issue would be a mix of qualitative and quantitative research. The only criteria for selection are those of quality and relevance for the special issue. Contributions will be reviewed by the guest editors and at least two external reviewers.

Timeline

• 24 October 2025: Deadline for first submissions
• January 2026: Reviews returned, revisions requested
• April 2026: Deadline for final submission
• July 2026: Final decisions
• August 2026: Publication of the special issue

References

• Banga, A., & van Rijt, J. (2023). Separating the relevant from the irrelevant: factors influencing L1 student teachers’ ability to discern (ir)relevant arguments in time-pressured grammatical discussions. L1 – Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 23(1), 1-27.
• Boivin, M.-C., Fontich, X., Funke, R., García-Folgado, M.-J., & Myhill, D. (2018). Working on grammar at school in L1 education: Empirical research across linguistic regions. L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 18(3), 1–6.
• Brøseth, H., & Nygård, M. (2023). Norwegian first-year student teachers’ knowledge of L1 grammar . L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 23(1), 1–30.
• Corr, A. & Pineda, A. (2023). Theoretical linguistics in the pre-university classroom. Oxford University Press.
• Denham, K. (2020). Positioning students as linguistic and social experts: Teaching grammar and linguistics in the United States. L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 20(3), 1–16.
• Denham, K., & Lobeck, A. (2010). Linguistics at school. Language awareness in primary and secondary education.Cambridge University Press.
• Dielemans, R., & Coppen, P.‐A. (2020). Defining linguistic reasoning. Transposing and grounding a model for historical reasoning to the linguistic domain. Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics, 9(1–2), 182–206.
• Honda, M., & O’Neil, W. (2007). Thinking linguistically. A scientific approach to language. Wiley Blackwell.
• Hudson, R. (2004). Why education needs linguistics (and vice versa). Journal of Linguistics, 40(1), 105–130.
• Klijnstra, T., Stoel, G. L., Ruijs, G. J. F., Savenije, G. M., & van Boxtel, C. A. M. (2023).
• Toward a framework for assessing the quality of students’ social scientific reasoning. Theory and Research in Social Education, 51(2), 173-200.
• Moore, T. (2004). The critical thinking debate: How general are general thinking skills? Higher Education Research and Development, 23(1), 3–18.
• Razfar, A. & Rumenapp, J. (2014). Applying Linguistics in the classroom. A sociocultural approach. Routledge.
• Sheehan, M., Corr, A., Havinga, A., Kasstan, J. & Schifano, M. (2021). Rethinking the UK Languages Curriculum: Arguments for the Inclusion of Linguistics. Modern Languages Open, 14(1), 1-24.
• Trotzke, A., & Kupisch, T. (2020). Formal linguistics and language education. New empirical perspectives. Springer.
• Van Drie, J., & Van Boxtel, C. (2008). Historical reasoning: Towards a framework for analysing students’ reasoning about the past. Educational Psychology Review, 20(2), 87–110.
• Van Keulen, R., & Spotti, M. (2024). What happens when students engage in learning how to reason about Dutch historical literature in a digital game? A case study of an upper secondary school classroom in the Netherlands. L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 24(2), 1–19.
• Van Rijt, J. (2024). Learning how to think like a linguist: Linguistic reasoning as a focal point in L1 grammar education. Language and Linguistics Compass, 18(3), 1-17. Article e12513.
• Van Rijt, J., Banga, A., & Goudbeek, M. (2024). Getting a load of linguistic reasoning: How L1 student teachers process rules of thumb and linguistic manipulations in discussions about grammar. Applied Linguistics, 45(1), 163-188.
• Van Rijt, J., & Coppen, P.-A. J. M. (2021). The conceptual importance of grammar: Knowledge-related rationales for grammar teaching. Pedagogical Linguistics, 2(2), 175-199.
• Van Rijt, J., Myhill, D., De Maeyer, S., & Coppen, P.-A. (2022). Linguistic metaconcepts can improve grammatical understanding in L1 education evidence from a Dutch quasi-experimental study. PLoS One, 17(2), Article e0263123.
• Van Rijt, J., De Swart, P., & Coppen, P.-A. (2019). Linguistic concepts in L1 grammar education: a systematic literature review. Research Papers in Education, 34(5), 621-648.
• Van Rijt, J., Wijnands, A., & Coppen, P.-A. (2020). How secondary school students may benefit from linguistic metaconcepts to reason about L1 grammatical problems. Language and Education, 34(3), 231-248.
• Young, M. (2013). Overcoming the crisis in curriculum theory: A knowledge‐based approach. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 45(2), 101–118.
• Wijnands, A., van Rijt, J., & Coppen, P.-A. (2021). Learning to think about language step by step: A pedagogical template for the development of cognitive and reflective thinking skills in L1 grammar education. Language Awareness, 30(4), 317-335.