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Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Acquisition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 November 2008

James P. Lantolf  and
Aneta Pavlenko
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Extract

Although the sociocultural theory (henceforth SCT) of mental activity, rooted in the work of L. S. Vygotsky and his colleagues, has certainly come to the fore in developmental and educational research (cf. Forman, et al. 1993, Lave and Wenger 1991, Moll 1990, Newman, et al. 1989), it is still very much the “new kid on the block” as far as SLA research is concerned. Recently, however, SCT has begun to enjoy increased attention among L2 researchers, as is amply attested in the bibliography of this paper. This research has focused on three general areas: activity theory and the relevance of motives and goals for L2 learning; the role of private speech in L2 learning; and learning in the zone of proximal development. These areas serve as the organizing basis for the survey that follows. The overview begins, however, with a brief, but necessary, overview of the theory itself.

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Type
Language Acquisition and Attrition
Information
Annual Review of Applied Linguistics , Volume 15 , March 1995 , pp. 108 - 124
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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