Grounded in the major tenets of critical theory and informed by principles of critical pedagogy, this volume comes as a much needed contribution to the area of foreign language education (FLE). This is a volume that bridges the gap between calls for changes made by critical pedagogues and a need to turn these critical principles into classroom practice. Osborn's volume is set against an unsatisfactory situation of world language (foreign language) education in the United States. The principal aim in the nine chapters is to reconsider the epistemological and ontological foundations that inform foreign language pedagogical theory and practice. The author suggests that community building be added to the cognitive tradition in forming the theoretical basis of FLE.

There is a good description of the precarious position of FLE in the United States, as Osborn dedicates some pages to the conservative and progressive positions toward FLE. He is also aware of two threats to FLE—namely the explosive growth of English and the little market demand for FLE, especially in the way it is currently practiced. There is also a clear call for world language educators to adopt a critical approach in reforming and expanding language curricula. Teachers and students also have an “ethical responsibility related to the production and expansion of human knowledge that can be addressed through a thoughtful approach to world language education” (p. 9). Like Kumaravadivelu (2001), Osborn stresses the central role of macrocontextualization, stating that language programs should be developed to satisfy demands set by local, regional, national, and global contexts. Instead of inventing a new methodology, the author suggests a methodology that uses existing ways and approaches as long as the purpose is to create dialogue and advocate social justice.

Osborn uses six chapters to demonstrate how it is possible to teach world languages for social justice. Based on a model that he calls the critical inquiry cycle, the author argues that the solution is to revolutionize teacher education, which will become the catalyst for social and pedagogical change. Osborn adds that teachers can be critical while using national standards and working within current classroom constraints. For practicing teachers, chapters 4–8, although still heavy with theory, offer a good number of practical activities, especially for those uncomfortable or unsure about the principles of the critical approach. In my view, the thematic transitions strategies on page 64 capture the essence of the work. Teachers are introduced to several ways of turning common textual themes into strategies and activities that relate to social justice. Grammar and vocabulary will still play a main role in language classrooms, but they have to “help us resist positivism” (p. 60); that is, they should address issues of equity and values and open a dialogue with the community. There are also pedagogical examples of how to use literature in a language classroom concerned with social justice.

A major pedagogical contribution of this volume is found in the chapter on critical discourse and visual analysis. The examples provided draw attention to how language teachers can turn the various forms and discourses of the media into activities that encourage critical analysis in the classroom. Chapter 7 is a reminder that language education is an interdisciplinary endeavor. What teachers do in world language classrooms is much more than expose students to sounds and grammatical structures. Languages cannot be learned in isolation from other areas such as politics, history, science, geography, ecology, and so on. Osborn does not forget to explore the wide array of possibilities offered by the Internet; he cites a number of foreign language virtual resources that can be turned into pedagogical materials.

Each chapter comes with a list of further reading and a section of questions for discussion. The structure and content of the volume make it accessible to researchers and postgraduate students who have an interest in reforming foreign language curricula in the United States and beyond. There are, of course, major challenges and frustrations with an approach that focuses on social justice, but the journey is more important than the destination and the implications are far-reaching.