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REFLECTION: SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY

LAURA V. BUITRAGO

UNIVERSIDAD DE PUERTO RICO

RECINTO DE MAYAGUEZ

MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH EDUCATION

MAYAGUEZ

2019

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Language is a social concept developed through interaction. In language acquisition, the

engagement in social experiences is fundamental. According to Vygotsky, the acquisition of a

language involves not only the exposure to words, but also the growth of interconnected processes

of thought and language. It means that interactions with people and objects from the environment

are essential in the development of thinking and communication.

In linguistics, meaning is the information or concepts that a sender intends to convey, or

does convey, in communication with a receiver. Vygotsky states that meaning is what is lying

between the thought and the word and is something that is not given but developed. According to

this, the meaning is a process that is shaped, modified, structured, and then established, as

languages. A system of meaning is constructed with the intervention of psychological and social

factors, entailing thinking and language. The unification of those latter makes possible the use of

sign and symbols to communicate meaning. Through signs and symbols, the learner

can develop complex psychological processes, inner and private speech and find a role in his own

cultural context.

Along with a system of meaning, there is a system of concept. This system is a set of

interrelated concepts or ideas, needed for the construction of a specific knowledge or the

understanding of a topic. Concepts are fundamental pieces of our thoughts and beliefs. They are

used as tools in a wide range of thinking, from science to imagination. Thereby, systems of

concepts exist within the academic world and the human mind. A conceptual system may refer to

a cognitive science, mathematics, biology, chemistry, law, etc. or to an individual’s view of the

world.

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The systems of concepts and meanings are part of the cognitive development evolved from

sociocultural context and interactions since childhood. The environment helps to shape elementary

mental functions, such as mechanical memory, involuntary attention, and perception. Another

more complex functions as voluntary attention, portioning, analysis, abstraction and synthesis are

developed in latter stages. Those functions are involved in verbal thinking and generalization, the

foundation’s basis of the system of meaning. These faculties enable the adult to construct a more

elaborated mode of thinking, with respect to the one in the child. While a word can evoke a simple

idea the child, it may represent a complex and abstract concept in the mind of the adult.

The complex system of meaning of the adult requires consciousness and realization of his

own thought. The more developed the system of meaning is, the more it affects second language

acquisition and the more thinking awareness a person has, the more it is reflected in the learning

of a foreign language. In this regard, adults learn a second language with a more conscious mind

and a system of meaning structured enough to influence the learning process. On the other hand,

children, who learn a second language in their early stages of development, can construct two

different and parallel systems of meaning.

Vygotsky emphasized the fundamental role of social interactions and experiences in

cognitive development. Socio cultural sings and symbols are mediators of this process. According

to his theory, the degree of this development is crucial in second language acquisition, since it

determines the nature of the learning process.

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REFERENCES

Mitchell, R., & Myles, F. (2004). Second language learning theories. London: Hodder Arnold.

Lantolf, J. P., Thorne, S. L., & Poehner, M. E. (2015). Sociocultural theory and second language.

Eun, B., & Lim, H.-S. (2009). A Sociocultural View of Language Learning: The Importance of
Meaning-Based Instruction. TESL Canada Journal, 27(1), 12.