In the mid-1960s the humanities and the social sciences witnessed a paradigm shift with the birth of several new but mutually related ‘interdisciplines’, including semiotics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, pragmatics as well as the study of discourse. This became the ‘linguistic turn’. The articles collected in the volumes of this book are prominent contributions to the latter field of study, traditionally called ‘discourse analysis’, but more appropriately labeled ‘discourse studies’. The collection covers all the major fields of discourse studies, including grammar, stylistics, conversation analysis, narrative analysis, argumentation, psychology of comprehension, ethnography of speaking, and media. With over 80 articles, it brings together classic texts and work from the top scholars in the field to reflect all the significant debates in the field.

This book provides an overview of major dimensions of the adult education field and raises awareness of the critical issues and tensions inherent in its practice. Chapter 1 sketches the broad outlines of the field in terms of its definitions, major concepts, goals, and purposes. Chapter 2 explores the philosophical foundations of adult education. Chapter 3 examines how the history of the field has been approached and interpreted. Chapter 4 outlines three critical issues related to the foundations for adult education practice: whether to strive for unity, whether to align with the rest of education, and whether the primary focus of activity should be the individual or society.

What were the circumstances that led to the development of our cognitive abilities from a primitive hominid to an essentially modern human? The answer to this question is of profound importance to understanding our present nature. Since the steep path of our cognitive development is the attribute that most distinguishes humans from other mammals, this is also a quest to determine human origins. This collection of outstanding scientific problems and the revelation of the many ways they can be addressed indicates the scope of the field to be explored and reveals some avenues along which research is advancing.