The Didactic of Languages: a discipline in construction

The last 30 years have shaped the Didactic of Languages as a disciplinary field. This contribution analyzes the social and institutional context that allowed the scientific development of studies on teaching and learning languages; this paper also discusses the finals goals for teaching and learning languages, focusing on the concept of plurilingualism. In order to present the field of the Didactic of Languages, we will underline some of its principal's researches; in the same time, we will highlight the scientific concepts that contribute to its theoretical formalization. The development of plurilingual and intercultural approach for improving the teaching and learning of languages is the key axis of this general panorama.