Sociocultural Theory

The sociocultural theory believes that language can be acquired when the students socialize and interact either with other learners or with the speakers of the language they are learning.   . In the context of the classroom, the sociocultural theory in second language acquisition can be practiced through social activities that simulate the cultural context of the language.

The socio-cultural is based on vigotskian thoughts, that language is a socially mediated process. The society  has importance in the learning process in the people. The mediation  is a fundamental principle to acquire second language, and we need the mediation from the parents, teachers, relatives or classmates.

According to Vigotski the theory is based on:




ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT


1.  CHILDREN CONSTRUCT KNOWLEDGE.

What  teachers  have to do is to produce learning or knowledge.

Teachers have to help students how to learn. 

HOW?

Developing the habilities  to understand all the context in the speaking and use it in the real context.  

2. LEARNING CAN LEAD DEVELOPMENT


It is the concept  that a child accomplishes a task he cannot do alone with the help from a more skilled person. the result of this process is that  children become more socialized in the dominant culture and it induces cognitive development.


3. DEVELOPMENT CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM ITS SOCIAL CONTEXT


Social interactions lead to continuos step by step changes in children´s thougth and behavior and these depend on the culture which we are exposed.
development depends on interaction with people and the tools that the culture provides to help form their own view of the world.


4. LANGUAGE PLAYS CENTRAL ROLE IN MENTAL DEVELOPMENT


Children use private speech when the task becomes too dificult and a child doesn´t know how to proceed. Private speech helps the child accomplish a task.


Interactive Activities

Aside from the classic role playing, here are some activities for strengthening the communication skills of second language learners based on the sociocultural theory:

1. Shared Story Telling

In this activity, the teacher will present a set of related pictures that tells a story. In groups of 4 to 5, the learners would have to construct a story by describing what they see in the pictures. Each member of the group must be have an assigned picture that he will connect to the other pictures. Depending on their level, they can add dialogues and characters. This activity can also be used in retelling a story taken up in class.

2. Think-Aloud

Give the learners a situation in which they have to make decisions or choose options. While they are deciding on what to do with the situation given to them, they spontaneously say out loud the things that go on in their mind. They must be able to have a resolution at the end. Allot a specific period of time for this activity. For example, a learner must be able to decide within 2 minutes if he will attend a party of a person he doesn't like. The situations must be realistic and within the experience of the learners. The purpose of this activity is for the learners to think in the language they are acquiring and make it automatic to them. This will also help them see that communication is not only with other people but also with oneself.

3. Language Date

Arrange a day in which students can meet up with native speakers who will serve as their company for the day. The learner and the native speaker must arrange some activities they can do together like dining out, shopping, playing some sports. The native speaker must not be able to understand the learner's native language. This way, the learner will be forced to use  the target language he/ she is learning. At the same time, this will also expose the students to the use of language in an authentic situation.