Effectiveness of Vygotsky's Socio-Cultural Theory in Second Language Learning

This assignment explores the effectiveness of Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory in second language learning. It discusses the contributions of the theory, self-regulation, zone of proximal development, and more. The study uses secondary data collection and critical analysis to understand the effectiveness of socio-cultural theories in learning and individual development.

Assessment

Introduction
Learning school of Scotland or Scottish school focuses on providing free
education to all children, living in Scotland. The main feature of this school is it
operates curriculum for excellence which provides skills, knowledge for learning to
primary and secondary schools. It can also be said that Scottish education is quite
unique and different than others as it adopts effective ways of teaching.
Socio cultural theory is one of the most prominent and crucial theories, pertaining to
learning processes-this theory imbibes processes of learning, chiefly acquisition of
second language, as a semiotic or pragmatic process, where the learners need to
make themselves engage in productive social interactions and communications
(Lantolf, Poehner and Swain, 2018). The theory of Vygotsky pertaining to sociocultural
perspective, has set and identified instruction as a significant and conspicuous
aspect of second language learning and states that instruction should be regulated
and tailored to the realm of proximal development, which is above the learner’s
genuine and inbuilt development level. As per the comprehensible input theory which
refers a language, can be understood in an effective manner by listener (Patrick,
2019). Krashen’s theory of learning and understanding input plays an important role
because it makes use of words in a manner which help listener in acquiring and
understanding languages naturally rather than learning it consciously. It will also
discuss ways as how second language acquisition takes place and how it helps
learners in acquiring second language naturally and effectively. This theory
epitomizes the idea that learning from the context of second language, should
essentially be a collaborative venture and achievement, and not involve a
segregated learner’s effort and endeavour, where the learner feels unmediated and
unassisted. Any type of explanation or theory, pertaining to human activity, involve
certain amount of complexities, since human beings are not secluded, rather are
aligned with a complicated context of living. The aim of this assignment is to witness
and put forward the potency and efficacy, alongside the effective implementation of
Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory pertaining to second language learning (Zhang, Wang
and Guo, 2018). The context and focus of the assignment involves the whole lot of
strategies and techniques, and processes of communication and interaction from a
socio-cultural perspective, put forward by Lev Vygotsky, which subsequently lead to
necessary acquirement or adoption of a second language. From the perspective of a
selected group of learners aiming for second language acquisition, this assignment
critically approaches, like self-regulation, private speech, internalization, mediation,
scaffolding, zone of proximal development. The wide range of postulates and
implications of Vygotsky’s concepts theories and approaches, in relation to second
language acquirement have been critically reviewed here, and those concepts and
theories have been related with motivation, volition, learning style, aptitude and
learning strategies of learners. For the conduction of this assignment, thirty
participants were chosen from the language learning school of Scotland, where
learners came to imbibe English as their second language.

Aim: “To understand effectiveness of Vygotsky’s and socio cultural theory in relation to
second language learning
Objectives
 To explore contributions of Vygotsky’s and socio cultural theory in understanding
second language.
 To understand effectiveness of socio-cultural theories in individuals
development”.
 To explore central ideas of meditation, scaffolding and zone of proximal
development in successful implementation of second language theory.
Research questions
 What are some contributions of Vygotsky’s and socio cultural theory to second
language learning?
 What are some effectiveness of socio-cultural theories and how it can help in
individuals’ development?
 How some central ideas liek meditation and zone of proximal development
help in successful implementation of second language theory?
This study is going to use secondary method of data collection and with teh heklp of
critical analysis and literature, all information related to effectiveness of socio-cultural
theories in learning and individual development can be known.
Main Body
The socio-cultural theory and Vygotsky’s contributions
Vygotsky’s methodological approach in regard to the relationship between speaking
processes and thought processes, provides with a conception regarding the
processes included in developing and acquiring proficient communicative capacity in
the second language (Lev Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Theory, 2020). To get hold of a
flavour of amalgamation of the language processes and the thought processes,
Vygotsky put forward, a basic, primary, irreducible aspect of this amalgamation.
From the perspective of znachenie slova, Vygotsky got hold of the social origins of
the capacity of individuals to communicate by virtue of language, as well as putting
up a research on the development and origin of the internal mental systems, that are

tremendously essential and result from the communicative ability (Ridwan, 2019).
Vygotsky in his Thinking and Speech, analyses the znachenie slova, from three
aspects, the genetic origin, the structural development, of and inter linkage with
certain psychological functions and associated processes, and from the functional
perspective certain psychological activity and inspiring factors. By virtue of this
research, Vygotsky came up with revealing the actual factors that contribute to the
external and superficial appearances of the process, its associated nature and
genesis. This was a superficial aspect of Vygotsky’s socio-cultural perspective
pertaining to second language adoption (Marginson and Dang, 2017).
In The Question of Multilingual Children, in case of putting up a research on
bilingual children, an essential and eminent factor is going beyond the surface,
considering and identifying the indicators and external traits, and to move more
deeply to get hold of the internal structures of the processes, that are prominently
related with the development of speech of children (Storch, 2017). Vygotsky
analysed the source of znachenie slova, pertaining to an individual as a system or
process, that has its origin in a child’s physical brain, and in the process of
elementary thinking, along with which individuals are born and which take shape in
childhood only, such as involuntary attention, mechanical memory, or perception.
These mental processes, which are fundamental and elementary, are moulded and
developed by sociocultural situations of progress and advancement among which a
child takes birth, and by virtue of their social communication and interaction in those
particular situations (Langeloo and et.al., 2019).
A learners developing conception, memory and attention pave the pathway for
communication and interaction between the learner and educators and peers, where
the peers and educators attributing communicative intent to the learner’s gestures
and speeches. By virtue of this social interaction, learners get hold of communicative
intentionality, and the use of certain phrases and speechesto convey and relay
meaning-chief aspects in the process of adoption and imbibing of second language.
A qualitative and effective metamorphosis in social communication and interaction
takes place, as accomplishion of verbal interaction of meaning is done, through
phrases, speeches and development of linguistic usage, and by the potency to make
a sweeping assumption in the understanding and utilisation of speeches and
phrases. Social interaction and communication is not all possible without the

utilisation of speech and sign, in a similar manner, verbal interaction is not possible
without proper sense and meaning. To convey to one person, a certain experience,
pertaining to a content of consciousness, the experience must be aligned to a group
or class of phenomenon, in other words it should bear generalization. The process of
social interaction and communication presupposes the creation of a verbal meaning
and generalization, generalization is only possible with the conduction of social
interaction (Storch, 2017). Any type of human condition and its associated
explanation is so context bound and so much complicatedly interpretive pertaining to
so many levels that, it is impossible to achieve by taking into account secluded
segments and aspects of life, and it can never be bought to a consider worthy
conclusion beyond the shield and shelter of human doubt. So, overall it can be said
that learning and teaching is 2 ways process in which learning happens along with
teaching. For making students and people learn about different topics via teaching,
people requires using effective words which can be understood by all learners and it
is the best way of completing learning and teaching process in a successful manner.
It can also be said that students or learners can learn different topics without
teachers or having someone who can teach but teachers requires learners for
teaching so, it can be said that process of teaching is incomplete without learners.
Communication skill including both oral and written is known as the key of success of
teaching and learning process because for making students able to understand
study topics and all those things which teachers teach them, require communication
skills for better interaction.
Self-regulation
According to Vygotsky, as an individual, second language learners take part in an
activity pertaining to social interactions, among themselves and peers or more
experienced educators. Gradually, with passage of time, learners get hold of
individuality and conscious control, by virtue of three levels of moderation and
regulation in interaction, namely, other regulation, object regulation and self-
regulation. Other regulation is a process, by virtue of which, a learner, is regulated
and controlled by another more skilled or experienced person, to say for example,
peer, adult, educator, in a social activity that is shared. In this perspective, learners
gain the ability to conduct some tasks, with the assistance of a linguistically mediated
individual like parent, educator or a more skilled and potent peer. This assistance,

which is linguistically mediated primarily refers to dialogic speech, which is regarded
as the fundamental means of conducting the other-regulation (Van Compernolle,
2019). Features that are non-linguistic, for example, facial gestures, are also
regarded as mediated assistance in this perspective. Self-regulation is primarily, a
relative phenomenon, because the learner is not essentially self-regulated in a whole
lot of various tasks, and not every learner imbibe self-regulation processes and
mechanisms, regarding to a particular task at the same time. From the perspective of
three different types of regulation, it can be comprehended that self-regulation
situates either after or as a consequence of other regulation, which involves a
behavioural process. Researchers often apply Vygotsky’s framework and conception
of self-regulation to second language acquisition. Traditional or conventional modes
of teaching primarily remains predominated by, object regulation, and/or, other-
regulation, which is to say, learners are regulated by exercises, texts or they are
other-regulated by the educators. In traditional modes of language classroom
environments, educators attempt to force upon learners to write or speak, and self-
regulation is not allowed when they are making utilisation of the target language.
Traditional educators of language learning classes, permit very little scope and
opportunity for two-way interaction, whereas on the contrary among natural settings,
learners get ample scope of self-regulation by virtue of complete interaction (Yu,
2020).
Zone of Proximal Development
Vygotsky defined the Zone of proximal Development as the distance
prevailing among the genuine ad intrinsic development level pertaining to problem
solving without any guidance and the level of development of potency pertaining to
solving of problem under the guidance of any adult, or in collaboration or association
of more capable and more potent peers (Marginson and Dang, 2017). In regard to this
concept, Vygotsky, came up to establish two, levels of development in the learner.
The actual level of development is the one, which is associated with the actual
potency, devoid of the guidance of others and the other is the level of development
of potency, which is associated with the capacity, when learners get hold of
assistance from any other entities (Nguyen, 2019). Vygotsky went on to say that, the
process of learning paves the pathway for the development of ZPD.To say precisely,
the process of learning, contributes, in awakening of a whole lot of various

developmental processes, which can only function, by virtue of the learner’s
interaction and communication with educators or peers.
On the execution of these processes, these processes gets included within the
development achievement of the learner that is independent.Lantolf and Appel
comes up with the opinion and argument that, educators and adults contribute to
pass instructions to learners to emerge with solutions to problems in a strategic
manner, and mould their feedback till the time the learners are potent enough to
carry out the particular tasks in an independent manner, without experiencing the
fact that they are passing through a strategic activity. What is important and crucial
to ZPD is the superior and potential development of cognition that emerges as a
consequence of the interaction and not the successful accomplishing of tasks.
Researchers also put forward the fact that, the dialogic process or the process of
interaction between a novice learner and an experienced educator or more capable
peer pertaining to second language adoption can be termed as a mutual triumph
(Pathanet al., 2018). This mutual triumph can be witnessed since, the less capable
learner gets support and guidance from the experienced and the capable ones,
which is the potent benefit and privilege of social interaction. By virtue of the social
interaction, the experienced one successfully executes the strategic processes,
where they need to observe carefully what is easy to the novice learner and what is
difficult to the novice learner under a prolonged sense of continuity and direction, a
plan of action from the local perspective, and a decision making process based on
moment to moment interaction.
According to the idea and opinions of Ducrey and Allal, two contrasting pathways
exist from measuring ZPD that originates from divergent interpretations, fro, the
perspective of Vygotsky’s socio cultural perspective. One interpretation puts verdict
for measuring ZPD of a learner as a particular individualistic trait which manifests
particular and fixed stability from the perspective of instructional settings (Poehner
and Infante, 2017). The other interpretation states that, the measurement process
pertaining to ZPD is conducted by learner’s continuous interaction and
communication within a particular instructional setting.

Scaffolding
The psychology of Vygotsky from the sociocultural perspective and the conception of
Zone of Proximal development are situated at the centre of the process of
scaffolding. Wells in 1999, came up with the idea that scaffolding is essentially an
operationalization and implication of teaching and tutoring learners of second
language, pertaining to ZPD.On the contrary, Daniels in the year of 2001 came up
with the opinion that scaffolding only partially depicts the enrichment of the concept
of ZPD.Donato in the year of 1994, has put forward a different definition of
scaffolding pertaining to the teaching and learning process which imbibes the idea
that, scaffolding is essentially a inter-psychological process consisting of dialogues
that contributes in the elevation of the language learner’s internalisation of
knowledge by virtue of shared activities(Mitchell et al., 2019). Scaffolding comprises
of three particular traits, which are, the dialogic discourse leading to the con-
construction of knowledge of the language learner, the activities of the learner which
imbibes knowledge and knowing, and the contribution of the artifacts that intercede
or arbitrate knowing of the learner. From the perspective of educational psychology,
scaffolding points out to the process, by virtue of which educators or more potent
and capable peers assists the less capable language learners in solving their
problems and issues.
A scaffolded help according to Mercer and Fisher (1993), empower learners to
conduct and execute task, which they might fail to manage by themselves, prepare
learners to step into a state of competence, which will empower them enough to
conduct self-execution of tasks, bear evidence of learner’s achievement and
acquirement of strong level of competence that is independent (Mutekwe, 2018). The
most prominent features of scaffolding performed by educators and more potent and
capable peers include, getting hold and track of the novice language learner’s
attention, in order to manage the task inducing decrement in the level of freedom,
keeping the direction right to meet with the goals and objectives, marking the
features which are crucial and critical, regulating the frustration of the learner by
providing with the necessary motivation and inspiration and coming up with models
of solution. The success of assistance pertaining to scaffolding depends on the
degree of expertise manifested by the experienced educators and the more capable

peers in managing the interaction and communication between demands and tasks
of less skilled learners (Ngo, 2018).
Evaluation of the theory
A whole lot of researches have been conducted in order to get hold of an
understanding of the actual and authentic developmental process pertaining to
learners, from other-regulation to the process of self-regulation (Riley, 2016). The
associated example gathered from Aljaafreh and Lantolf’s article puts forward the
fact that, mutual building of knowledge, regarding tense markings in case of modal
and main verb constructions, the educator provides with the learners, obvious and
clear feedbacks primarily (Lantolfet al., 2018). The concerned articles aims to
establish the fact that this concerned idea even shapes and moulds the appropriate
way of implementation of modal auxiliary, and subsequently with the decrement of
the assistance of the educator, attracting and locating the attention of the learners to
the wrong form , till the learner acquires the ability to correct the incorrect ones. A
wide range of articles came up with the view that, scaffolding can be extensively
practiced by educators and more capable peers, which acts as a catalyst to initiate
the development of cognition of the learners.Donato, (Donato, Hamilton and Bernard-
Sasges, 2019) in the year of 1994, claimed that, peer-scaffolding tremendously
contributes in linguistic progress and advancement of an individual, and those more-
skilled learners can initiate expansion of their own knowledge regarding second
language, and contribute to linguistic development of the co-learners-this has
actually been proved by virtue of micro genetic analysis of recorded oral activity and
dialogic events that are collaborative in nature (Lee, 2018).
Limitations of the socio-cultural theory
The article of Mitcell and Myles (1998) comes up with the fact that, socio-cultural
theory or perspective of Vygotsky has been aligned with a whole lot of aspects of
second language learning, starting from the development and formation of learning
strategies to the formation of lexis, still some of the aspects cannot witness
prominent explanation from the socio-cultural perspective (Finol, 2019). Some
researchers have already revealed the fact that, sociocultural theory cannot be
implemented in the context of inter-language grammar, which primarily prevails as
an abstract process in the minds of the learners, rather than completely available
among the social relationships working between the learners. Another limitation that

can be associated with Vygotsky’s socio cultural theory, is that, the theory does not
involve much information regarding biological contributions to the development of
cognition of a learner and a learner’s inherent capacity to mould his or her cognition.
Moreover, researches of reputed sociocultural theorists also bear certain limitations,
like Donato (1994) comes up with the idea that, research on second language
interactions, does not establish proof of, cooperative action, which are said to be
beneficial in problem solving activities of co-learners and peers.Nyikos and
Hashimoto in the year of 1997 depicts absence of proof from learner diaries which
only relate with learner’s spontaneous feelings of acquiring achievements, rather
than coming up with more trustworthy results, which point towards learner
acquirement of independent competence pertaining to ZPD (Golombek, 2017).
Implications of the theory
The most significant implication of the sociocultural perspective, is that it provides
with the psycholinguistic framework for a wide range of approaches, like
collaborative learning, task based learning. Nun in the year of 2001 put forward the
argument that, five conceptions of the sociocultural perspective of Vygotsky get
aligned with task based learning, comprising of activity theory, mediation, regulation,
private speech and ZPD (Antón, 2019).These components are implemented to get
hold of educator and learner’s task in classroom activities. Nun puts forward the fact
that there exists a close interrelation among, sociocultural theory and task based
learning ,from the three aspects of recontextualizing the learning environment, taking
into account that tasks or activities are a part of developing and learning language
and putting emphasis on meaning. Swain in the year of 2000, claimed that from the
perspective of collaborative learning, this concerned approach brings forward some
of the chief factors of sociocultural theory such as scaffolding and ZPD.In other
words, collaborative learning, increases the capacity of exploring the learner’s ZPD,
initiates and promotes building of knowledge and solving problems jointly, and puts
focus on usage of language, integrating learning of language (Bahari, 2018).
Another significant implication of the sociocultural theory of Vygotsky is that it paved
the pathway for some effective research regarding techniques of teaching, for a wide
range of aspects, including writing. Collaborative dialogue or collaborative learning,
points towards interactions in which educator-learner or learner-learner engage
themselves jointly to conduct solving of problems and building of knowledge. This

conception has been implemented in the process of second language learning, and
educating from the perspective of mutual construction of knowledge, with educators
and learning by virtue of working with peers, in group activity or pair work. From the
perspective of educator-learner collaboration, the chief role of the educator is helping
with performance of learner through ZPD.By virtue of this collaboration, educators
assist learners to acquire awareness regarding the need to adopt and acquire
English by themselves, after they leave their learning environment. From the
theoretical perspective, this concerned approach, increases the productivity of
classroom language learning and teaching and produces ample opportunities of
learning by virtue of participation, interaction and negotiation, which associate
supreme significance to second language acquisition and second language learning,
as they contribute to language acquisition and comprehension input (De Costa et al.,
2019). Social theorists, moreover, cultivate the belief that, interaction is extremely
essential for getting engaged in, self-regulation, and an essential condition for
learning development and enrichment of cognition.
Conclusion and Suggestions
Scaffolding should not be interpreted by educators as direct instructions. Educators
may comprehend the fact that, educator-learner interaction is primarily dominated by
the adult. From that perspective, wrong and incorrect assumption of scaffolding, can
hinder and hamper learner’s progress and development. Secondly, classroom
environments pertaining to study and adoption of second language should
essentially be learner-centred, and less educator-centred, because in learner-
centred classroom environments only, learners get the scope to make themselves
involve in rendering out scaffolding and take responsibility for conduction of learning.
There exists a whole lot of contributions, of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory pertaining
to second language acquisition. With the assistance of the perception of ‘mediation’
language educators, get hold of the importance of, visualizing and perceiving,
language learning as a process, negotiated by a large number of pragmatic and
semiotic sources in the learning environment. Secondly, this perspective or theory
assist educators to comprehend and relate with learners from a unique perspective,
the idea that learners bring with them their own cultures, to the communication and
interaction process as learners, as they have constructed their individuality and
understanding through interactions with individuals from culture communities from
which they hail. Thirdly, sociocultural theory of Vygotsky, puts focus on the fact that
second language learning can take place, irrespective of place and irrespective of
form (Marginson, S. and Dang, 2017). Furthurmore, the conceptions of ZPD and
scaffolding are crucial and essential in second language learning as they assist
educators to get hold of the fact that development of learner’s potential can be
acquired by utilising a mediator, and associated assistance from peers and
educators. These conclusions have been drawn, by conducting research and

observing the learning process of the 30 participants and aligning the observances
with the theory of Vygotsky. The Data Protection Act, has been abided by fully while
the conduction of the assignment and the identity and information of the participants
have been kept anonymous.

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ONLINE
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