A brief explanation and background of sociocultural theory especially focused on foreign language teaching

1. Sociocultural theory/Cultural
Historical Activity Theory
Issues in Applied Linguistics
Week 3
Malba Barahona

3. Sociocultural theory/ Cultural
historical activity theory
 “offers a framework through which cognition can be
systematically investigated without isolating it from the
social context” (Lantolf & Thorne, 2006, p.1)

4. Vygotsky (1896 – 1934):
key ideas
1.
An extension of a Marxist project to explore the social basis for
human consciousness by focusing analysis on practical activity
2.
An emphasis on human tool-use and mediation (tools and signs)
3.
Tools are mediational means and considers how these tools
fundamentally change the way humans think.
4.
Emphasis on social learning. Focus on developmental potential
evidenced in the interactions with other speakers that occur within
the zone of proximal development (Vygotsky ,1978).
.

5. 2. Vygotsky (1896 - 1934) and tool
mediated action
Mediational Means
Subject
Object

6. Zone of proximal development
 Rejects Piaget’s (1979) claim that learning depends on
the maturity of the individual.
 Vygotsky’s (1978) posits that learning and maturity
interact within the ZPD, whereby a learner’s performance
with other participants exceeds his or her performance
alone.
 A focus on learners’ potential. The realisation of this
potential is achieved through assistance from a more
capable speaker, a process called scaffolding.

7. Sociocultural theory and L2
acquisition
 L2 acquisition is not represented by the attainment of
structures and the processing of input, but rather is
characterised by the co-construction and internalisation
of knowledge made in a social activity.

8. Leont’ev (1903 - 1979) and the object of
activity

He developed the concept of mediation distinguishing
between collective activity and individual action (Leont'ev,
1978). Leont’ev expanded Vygotsky’s work and developed the
foundations for analysing the structure and function of activity.
 ‘The main thing which distinguishes one activity from another,
however, is the difference of their objects. It is exactly the
object of an activity that gives it a determined direction. . . .
the object of an activity is its true motive.’ (Leont’ev 1978)

Object as the potentially shared aspect of the social world
on which we work together.

9. Activity theory
 It should lead to “transforming practice in ways that
might potentially ameliorate the everyday conditions
and outcomes of teaching and learning” (Lantolf and
Thorne, 2006, p.260)

10. Hierarchical structure of the activity
An activity is a collective goal oriented pursuit.
Actions are stepping stones to accomplish the activity
(individual).
Operations are the conditions for accomplishing actions
(affordances and constraints) in a specific context.

11. Tools: …with what (physical and conceptual
resources) – and how (mediation)
Object: what
problem is being
worked on – and
why? (objectmotive)
Subject(s):
who does the
work? whose
agency?
Rules:
what supports or
constrains the
work?
Outcome:
to what end?
Community:
who else is involved?
participants
An activity system adapted from “Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical
approach to developmental research” (p.78), by Y. Engeström, 1987, Helsinki: Orienta-
DoL: how is the work
shared, who does
what and why, how
has this evolved?

12. Activity vs. task
 An activity is a collective object-oriented pursuit. Why
are we doing this?
 An activity is everything that occurs in a class (context,
participants & actions)
 Tasks are opportunities for meaning-focused language
use.

13. Language tasks
1.
Hierarchical structure: students should be able to clearly identify a
hierarchical structure of actions to accomplish a goal.
2.
Object-oriented: Tasks should be goal-oriented and learners must
be able to complete the task and show thy have finished the
product (not a worksheet).
3.
Internalisation/externalisation: Tasks should produce the need for
shared attention among participants and generate opportunities
for learners to focus on form.
4.
Development: formative assessment/ feedback
5.
Mediation: tools mediate students’ learning. What tools are part of
the task?

14. Sociocultural theory & language
 Language is a tool that develops from the activity
required to accomplish a task or goal and not merely as
a system to be implemented after acquisition. Language
is a dynamic system that is constantly changing as it is
used.
 Sociocultural theory regards learning as socialisation and
acculturation into a specific group through shared ,
scaffolded activity.

15. Challenge 3
 In groups think of a successful language class. Why was
this particularly beneficial? Were any tasks used? If so,
Explain why that specific task satisfy or does not satisfy
the five characteristics mentioned before.
 In your blog write your reflection on why sociocultural
theory can potentially be a useful framework for
understanding L2 teaching and the role of technology
from this approach.

16. References
Dubravac, Stayc (2013). Technology in the L2 curriculum. Pearson, Boston.
Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit.
Lantolf, James P & Thorne, S. L (2006). Sociocultural theory and the genesis of second language development. Oxford University Press, Oxford ; New
York.
Leont'ev, A. N. (1978). Activity, consciousness, and personality (M. J. Hall, Trans.). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
Thorne, S. L., & Tasker, T. (2011). Sociocultural and Cultural-Historical Theories of Language Development. In J. Simpson (ed.), Routledge Handbook of
Applied Linguistics (pp. 487-500). New York: Routledge.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, V. Scribner & S. E. Souberman
Eds.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.