Can a Spanish science education journal become international? the case of Enseñanza de las Ciencias

© 2013, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. In this paper we discuss the case of the science education research journal Enseñanza de las Ciencias (EC) around the issue of its internationalization and the consequences this process has had and is still having on the use and preservation of different languages and more specifically the Castilian (Spanish) language. We first frame the concept of globalization and internationalization, and identify three important dimensions involved in the process of internationalization of EC such as language use, actors involved and resources available. Secondly, we address the historical evolution of EC along three phases of internationalization. In each phase we discuss the tensions experienced in relevant internationalization dimensions focusing particularly on the use of languages. We conclude by advocating a plurilingual and multicultural model for a science education research journal as an alternative to the hegemony of international English written journals. In doing so we want to continue the conversation on the role that local and national science education research journals have in promoting science education around the world.