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Introduction
The century we live in represents the culmination of the developments that have been realized so far in terms of knowledge and technology that have developed throughout human history. Human beings have not given up on the three basic functions that they consider important since the moment they started living on Earth. The first is the way of expressing himself and his freedom. The second is the issue of education for the next generations, which will ensure his continuation; and the third is the desire to know and understand the world he lives in and the universe surrounding him, and to live better by providing developments that will meet his needs. Language, science, and education attract our attention within the framework of these basic functions, and in light of these, the issue of the language of education constitutes the general framework of our study. It is even more important to focus on the language issue, especially in recent times when the phenomenon of globalization with its positive and negative aspects has been discussed. In this regard, we believe that the issue that the indispensability of science is not widely discussed in Azerbaijan, as in the rest of the world. However, here too, the way science is expressed and the language issue that leads to doing science remain open to discussion and even debated today, as it was yesterday.
Undoubtedly, language plays a pivotal role in education. A strong command of the instructional language is essential for students to comprehend the taught concepts. Language serves as the primary tool for acquiring and expressing knowledge, requiring students to develop an extensive vocabulary and the ability to communicate ideas both orally and in writing (Abdullah, 2023; Vignjevic, 2020). On the other hand, learning additional languages provides cognitive, cultural, and practical benefits. Proficiency in multiple languages opens doors to more information and job opportunities (Fox, Corretjer, & Webb, 2019; Fox, Corretjer, Webb, et al., 2019). This way, linguistic competence is indispensable for comprehensive and high-quality education, and educational institutions must ensure that all students achieve fluency in the language or languages of instruction.
Nowadays, the emergence of generative artificial intelligence language models presents intriguing opportunities and challenges in education that must be considered. On one hand, these models offer the potential to automate feedback on students' written work, easing the teaching burden and enhancing accessibility to scientific and academic writing by incorporating specialized terminology across disciplines. However, the use of these models also raises concerns about reinforcing biases inherent in the training data, potentially perpetuating existing societal prejudices. Additionally, there is a risk of students overly relying on these tools, hindering the development of their independent communication skills. With this in mind, it is crucial to educate students about the functioning of these AIs to mitigate unintentional plagiarism and foster a balanced approach. As a result of the above, the opinions within the academic community on the integration of generative AI language models in education are divergent and warrant careful consideration (Dwivedi et al., 2023; Lund et al., 2023; Sallam, 2023; Xinyi Huang et al., 2023).
On the other hand, another aspect that worries academics is the misuse of inclusive language in the academic context. The use of inclusive language in the educational context represents an effort to promote visibility and gender equality, and although these goals are good, its implementation poses certain challenges. For example, non-standard grammatical constructions may impede reading comprehension and verbal communication and additionally, there is a risk of prioritizing inclusion over communicative fluency or grammatical precision. Inclusive language may also face resistance among some stakeholders in the educational system, hindering necessary consensus. Nevertheless, when employed systematically and progressively, inclusive language may bring benefits in terms of students' identification with the content, visibility of gender minorities, and an understanding of the value of diversity. Therefore, pedagogical strategies are needed to balance inclusion with effective comprehension. The key is to ensure learning of standard grammatical norms before the gradual incorporation of new inclusive conventions, fostering awareness and sensitivity among both teachers and students (Flores & Rosa, 2015; Leontovich & Аркадьевна, 2021; Philippopoulos, 2023; Tosi, 2019).
Beyond the linguistic debates in the scientific world, the language problem of education and educational science does not seem to be an issue that is emphasized much in developing countries. It can be appreciated that the language of the educator who is engaged in education and training activities and the way he expresses the findings of the theoretical world that forms the basis of this activity - that is, the language he uses - constitutes a problem in itself. In Azerbaijan, the problem has not yet been addressed on a large scale with a critical, analytical, and, when necessary, synthetic method, or has not attracted much attention. Considering this fact, this study aims to discuss how language is one of the most fundamental problem areas that need to be addressed for those dealing with education and educational sciences in the age of information technology. Hence, the sensitivity of the issue will be acknowledged and addressed both in theoretical discussions and practical applications.
Development
Language-Education Relationship
Language acquisition and learning begin in the family. Language teaching in this institution, which is the cornerstone of society, is an unplanned, unprogrammed form of learning that is far from the rules of the language (Chiswick et al., 2005; Ndzotom Mbakop & Kamgang Ndada, 2021). Using such a language can enable a person to continue his daily life, but not scientific, philosophical, technological, political, etc. Following the developments and interpreting them under that conditions does not enable making predictions for the future based on them. The only way to achieve this is through planned and programmed language teaching in primary and secondary education institutions. This way, every society has given special value to national language teaching to secure its future, to avoid creating a disconnection between new generations and adults, in short, to carry the culture of the society into the future in line with scientific measures (Cortez et al., 2023). However, it has been identified and criticized by many researchers that language teaching is not given the necessary value in countries where traditional education prevails. While it is stated that teaching remains at the level of knowledge transfer and the how and why of the transferred information is not thought about, at the end of this activity, a memorization-based, transferring.
In our opinion, in Azerbaijan the goal is to catch up with, understand, and carry forward contemporary scientific developments and transform today's values, the democratic understanding of life, into a way of life, and because of that we must continue raising free individuals who know how to ask questions, criticize, research, have the power of analysis and synthesis, and are not satisfied with what they find. The first step towards this is to ensure that our young people acquire, teach, and learn our national language, which forms the basis of our social integrity, in the best possible way through educational activities. A person's inability to express his thoughts in the best way, even though he knows the field he is dealing with, reveals that scientific development is not reflected in life or is merely a transference (Ozden, 2000).
Language, which constitutes the title of our study, may seem not have a direct function for education and pedagogy. Its importance for these fields stems from the fact that it is a tool rather than a goal. However, this instrumental function and the fact that it is not seen as a first-order task does not diminish its importance because, considering that this activity is aimed at a newly growing person, it will be noted that it is too heavy to be underestimated. Therefore, “language is both the beginning and the product of the entire communication and interaction process. Therefore, every kind of interaction in the most general sense, and every kind of communication in a more specific sense, has its language” (Ibrahimov, 2020). Such an approach and determination to the language problem will reveal how important it is in terms of education, science, and especially pedagogy.
Although the demands for major changes in the characteristics and goals of a teacher who performs a pedagogical profession and assumes the role of educator are voiced by those dealing with educational science, for a teacher at the primary and secondary education level, language is both a means of teaching, that is, a means of communication, and of educating, that is, value. It is lalso a means of earning. E. Terhart describes the relationship between language and education as having “two meanings: firstly, educational behavior itself has long been a partner of linguistic behavior on a very large scale, and secondly, education is always talked about in everyday life, and everyday knowledge accompanies individual knowledge through tradition and also clearly in words and speech” (Terhart, 1999). Education is the completion of some human characteristics that are lacking at birth, and the transition of a person who is not satisfied with his current situation to another situation. Therefore, the first thing that needs to be completed here is the language, which will enable people to come into contact with their immediate and distant environment, which is the first step of communication and the tool of knowledge and thinking.
Language is not only a means of enlightening and informing the other person but it can also be considered from the perspective of the person who is the subject of education and who, realizing his deficiencies, tends to learn and use language. However, we do not want to delve into language learning and use because it goes beyond the scope of our study. But to put it in terms of those who practice a pedagogical profession: language learning, being able to speak the language, and the formation of language-related abilities are seen as a very clear desire of the educator and education. The biggest reason for this is that language is a socio-cultural power system. It can be handled externally by the enforcement of the laws in force, and internally in terms of establishing an identity with the organized society. The ideal process for this is a lesson. In this respect, education can be considered a linguistically controversial interpretation between the student and the educator.
Based on these thoughts, we can say that the person undertaking the training activity will use the language of science in continuing his professional life. With this feature he has, he will talk about some common topics among his colleagues performing the same task. However, will the teacher focus on a special scientific language in the world of the child, who will learn to use this language according to its rules after his mother tongue, or will he use a common language that the child will understand? That's the problem. E. Terhart thinks that those authorized to practice the educational profession “should never have a special language of expertise” when speaking. While explaining this idea, he talked about the legal principles arising from education and the language of social management and educational management with the contributions of management science, as opposed to the use of daily language in the conversations between those who carry out their educational duties. On the other hand, he states that they are constantly affected by a mixture of language elements revealed by educational science such as school education, social education, and adult education (Terhart, 1999).
It seems that those who carry out professional activities should not be satisfied with only the knowledge of a certain field and the terms of this field. Recent developments and changes, especially in the field of education, put them under pressure in the professional field as well as in other fields. In this regard, the development of computers and technology the change in communication tools, the increase in teaching techniques and tools, theories and practices in psychology and psychotherapy, and social organization theories can be considered among the first things that come to mind.
It is possible to look at the problem from the perspective of teaching practices and shed light on how the teacher's language should be. When necessary, the teacher must be someone who lives what he tells, like a theater artist, by the content of the course; because he is an exemplary person in every aspect. In addition, visual language is of great importance for people who still live in the world of the concrete. Therefore, drama is one of the teaching methods that can be used by a teacher. According to Enginun (1993), “since theater works do not come to life without being performed on the stage, every writer has to use the vocabulary of the period in which he lives. Because every word pronounced on the stage must be understood by the audience, works that are not understood are dead”. Just as there is and must be a relationship between the actor's costume, behavior, and appearance in the theater and the words he uses, that is, his language; there is and should be such an intimate connection between the lesson taught by the teacher and the language he uses in the classroom. An educator or teacher is not just a transmitter of information. First of all, he is the one who has digested the information he will convey and can live it while conveying it. He is the one who equips himself with new information at every moment and can convey his excitement as a part of his life. In this way, the educator should be able to remind the other person how to interpret life in the best way, saving him from being a mechanical tool (Inam, 1994, p. 66).
In a way, the 21st century is called the age of communication. The educational process stands out as an activity in which this communication is carried out healthily. Achieving the message between the trainer and the trainee in the most beautiful and meaningful way will also bring the success of communication to the agenda. “To convey some information and various concepts in terms that the student does not understand, to create an obstacle between the student and the teacher, it means “isolating the teacher” (Zulkifar, 1991, p. 24). The path to be followed for this is that the textbooks to be written from the first stage of primary education to the last stage of higher education must be consistent in terms of language and must be in a language that everyone who will participate in this activity can understand.
Language-Educational Science Relationship
Another issue or problem is that the language of science is the language of educational science in a more specific field. First of all, let us state that, as it is universally accepted, every scientific activity has its language, signs and symbols, abbreviations, special terms, and even its dictionary. There will always be a world he looks at and a view of life he forms with this vocabulary. Is the relationship between scientific thought and language a luxury or is there or should there be a necessary connection between them? It can be said that looking at this issue is as important as the idea and method of science itself. From the beginning, science was related to language (Akhmanova, 2007). It has no homeland, that is, it is the common property of all humanity. Therefore, it is thought that such activity has no direct relationship with the culture that includes individual and social life. However, the studies carried out and the judgments made in the world of reality are disclosed to the public through language. Since language is accepted as the basic element of culture, there is an inherent and necessary relationship between language and science. Therefore, the scientist does not have the right to ignore language, whether it constitutes thought or is accepted as the explanation of thought. In any case, language establishes itself as a means of communication. According to the second acceptance, as can be seen in E. B. Tyler's definition, there is no distinction made between culture and civilization. In this case, science and language are considered inseparable elements of culture or civilization.
Monik Hejduk, who conveyed the thoughts of Silke Jahr, looks at the issue from a communication perspective, also said that the language of science fulfills a function not only in terms of theoretical knowledge but also in terms of conveying information. It is necessary to represent and formulate knowledge about natural relationships and how they are explained in natural language so that the language of science can be understood by other people. In addition, it requires the highest degree of communication and special situations and includes different statements (Hajduk, 2022). Hence, language, which is the cornerstone of interpersonal communication, is seen as an important complement to communication among scientists. Stating that he has two duties in this field, H. M. Gauger thinks that the first serves the knowledge of the relevant subject and the second serves to inform what is known. Drawing attention to the importance of science in terms of communication, H. Markl said that communication is the essence of science because science is a method that can be repeated later to make reliable comments about the reality that people are informed about (Rubaszewska, 2022).
The language problem of educational science does not seem to be different from the language problem used by other sciences. One of the main problem areas is the basic claim that “educational science has no language”. Those who put forward this thesis start from the basic belief that there can be no such science as educational science. The claim that an eclectic science cannot have a formalized system of terms like mathematics or other sciences and that the terms it uses were introduced by other disciplines is expressed by those who put forward this thesis.
Another criticism of this issue is the question of whether pedagogy or education is a speculation or a science. While it is stated that distrust towards theories is not new, experimental research, descriptive pedagogy, and pedagogical case studies have shown themselves since the beginning of the century. If we add realistic transformations and critical rationalism in the early 1960s, we can easily follow the discussions in the field of educational science. All these problem areas continue to reveal both distrust in education and invite doubts about its existence (Gudjons & Traub, 2020). E. Terhart, in response to the fact that this discipline, that is, educational science, is described as incomprehensible and even irrational by outsiders; writes that it is determined differently by those dealing with educational science (Terhart, 1999).
It can be stated that this idea is consistent within itself. Because the theories put forward by different disciplines communicate with each other from time to time and as a result, they force each other to change. The language of each discipline and the theory it proposes differs from others. Recent research, namely teaching-learning research, environmental education, postmodern pedagogy (education), existential humanist education, etc., reveals both its research field and its language. Their view of the reality of education is expressed in the language they use. In other words, the language they use also helps determine their perspective on the reality of education. Therefore, while this movement reveals historicity on the one hand, it also reveals the semantic dimension (Terhart, 1999).
Final thoughts
One of the basic features that enable humans to understand their existence in the world is language. On the other hand, language is considered a tool of communication. If one of the basic dynamics in humans is language, the other can be expressed as the power of thinking. Without forgetting the different perspectives in this field, it is seen that there is an inherent and necessary relationship between thinking and language. Based on this, we can say that language is one of the basic elements of culture. While identifying with culture and thus gaining a sense of belonging brings the socio-cultural dimension of education to the agenda we can say that the educator internalizes the task of adapting the student to the culture by teaching the language. This task brings us face-to-face with the language the educator uses while performing his profession. We can say that the pedagogue or educator should not have a special language when educating a child who is not yet familiar with the scientific world and whose terminology in different fields has not been developed. However, this should not mean that the educator moves away from science. We emphasized that science and scientific method should have their own terminology since they deal with a special field. However, it seems that science can be made available to the public by introducing terms into the language and culture of the people.
However, it should not be overlooked that this must be considered not only with the effort of the scientist but also with other conditions that support it. Before concluding with a few sentences about the language of educational science, the important point that needs to be emphasized for our country is the science of education itself. Before discussing whether it is science or not, the issue of whether it exists or not must be discussed. It should be questioned whether the science of education should be considered in terms of philosophical, sociological, cultural, economic, legal, political, and other fields for a country and all humanity, or whether it is only a psychologically based research and practice field with all the abstractions. Unless this is done, talking, speaking, or writing in the language of educational science will be a futile effort. Based on this, we can say that the situation in the field of educational science is no different from other scientific activities. It seems that there is no universal consistency all over the world in terms of the language, that is, the terms used in educational research.
Considering that modern educational science research is still new in our country, terminological variations in this field can be excused to some extent. However, these differences must be resolved as soon as possible and unity must be achieved. Even more importantly, it seems that the discipline of education must be given scientific integrity. Then, to achieve additional positive results in the education system, a systematic approach to the management system should be applied, and mutual relations should be created between the various structures of the pedagogical education system in terms of content and organization. This is the relationship between educational institutions and educational departments with the additional education system that requires strengthening, uncovering needs, and formulating and fulfilling orders. To achieve significant development, it is necessary to strengthen the relations of psychological-pedagogical, scientific-methodical, organizational, economic-financial, informational, material-technical, legal provision, and state-social structures. All this should create a turn in the operation of the subsystems, perhaps they should be reconstructed, and a modern attitude to the management system should be ensured.
Conclusions
The importance of language in education is multifaceted: it facilitates communication, supports learning and comprehension, drives literacy development, acknowledges cultural diversity, promotes multilingualism, and serves as a subject of academic inquiry. Recognizing and embracing the centrality of language in education is key to fostering comprehensive and effective learning experiences for students worldwide. In the same way, the relationship between language and science is intertwined and essential for the advancement and dissemination of scientific knowledge. Therefore, the language that teachers use is of vital importance to properly promote the educational process. Teachers must express themselves clearly and precisely, using vocabulary adapted to the students' level of understanding, helping concepts to be transmitted effectively and without confusion. In this way, teachers are linguistic models that promote the incorporation of good language practices in students, that is, it is necessary to recognize that the verbal communication skills of teachers have a strong impact on the quality of education that students receive.
