Review and Evaluation on the Sociocultural Theory and Bottleneck Hypothesis

Over the past three decades,a growing number of different theories in second language acquisition field have come out in an effort to provide explanations as to how language learning takes place,to figure out what variables are effective for second language acquisition as well as to offer guidance to mass second language learners and language teachers.Because behind every teaching approach exists certain kind of theory of language acquisition and good theory in turn can help students master language skills in an effective and efficient way.Each theory is considered to have contributed to the field by highlighting a specific aspect of the language acquisition process.Second language acquisition theories are intrinsically related with various disciplines such as applied linguistics,psychology,education,sociolinguistics,neurology,etc.Considering the impossibility to elaborate all second language theories,I will focus on sociocultural theory and bottleneck hypothesis in second language acquisition.There is an overview which follows the introduction to the Sociocultural Theory and Bottleneck Hypothesis and its contribution to second language acquisition respectively,and then I will evaluate them to see their contributions to the SLA disciplinary development.

VYGOTSKY'S SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY AND THE ROLE OF INPUT AND OUTPUT IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

This paper explores the role of input and output in second language acquisition (SLA) by employing Lev S. Vygotsky's (1896-1934) sociocultural theory. Krashen's input hypothesis (1982, 1985) and Swain's output hypothesis (1985, 1993) hold different and somewhat contradictory viewpoints on the roles of input and output in SLA. The difference might be solved by applying Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, which claims human higher mental functioning is constructed in a social, cultural, historical, and institutional context. This context is a web woven by social interactions, a dialectic unity of input and output. Therefore, according to Vygotsky's approach to the understanding of learning, the interactions between input and output give rise to second language development.

Activity theory and second language acquisition

As recently as 1999, activity theory, one of the sub-theories of sociocultural theory, was described as ＂a well kept secret＂, now is one of the most popular theories in second language acquisition. In this article, the author will present a few research projects that adopt activity theory to investigate language learning, to show how activity theory brings new insights into language acquisition.

Research on College Studentst'Autonomous EFL Learning Affer Course Exemption

By analyzing the English learning logs of 12 students in a provincial university in south-west China after they had been exempted from taking college English courses,this study investigated college students’autonomous EFL(English as a foreign language)learning after course exemption,including the use of mediational means in EFL learning,EFL learning hours,and other factors affecting EFL learning,in the hope of giving new perspectives on college ELF curriculum design,teaching,and education management.

Understanding Good Language Learners’ Writing Strategy Use in the Chinese EFL Context: A Sociocultural Perspective

Strategy studies have been a well-established field in second language writing research and this article investigates English as a foreign language （EFL） learners＇ writing strategy use from a sociocultural perspective. Unlike the traditional focus on internal cognitive mechanisms in writing strategy studies, this sociocultural approach highlights the dialectic relationship between cognition and the sociocultural context and the importance of mediating resources in strategy use. Six proficient English majors from a Chinese university participated in the study, and data about their writing experience were collected through interviews. The findings showed that the participants used four types of writing strategies： artifact-mediated, rule-mediated, community-mediated, and role-mediated strategies. Other features of their strategy use include the diversity of mediating resources, idiosyncratic use of these resources, and the common goal to enhance their language knowledge and writing ability. Drawing on these findings, it is suggested that teachers can reconfigure the sociocultural context of writing activities to help students enhance their strategy use and possible ways include artifact manipulation and community construction.

Developing Students’ Critical Thinking and Discourse Level Writing Skill Through Teachers’ Questions: A Sociocultural Approach

The present study adopts a quantitative design to explore the effects of pre-designed teachers' questions as the mediation tool to scaffold the development of students' critical thinking and their discourse level writing skills in English from a sociocultural perspective. The participants were 39 sophomores from two classes. The results showed that:(1) teachers' questions targeting specific critical thinking skill in the classroom and in after-class conferences, as well as in written homework feedback were effective;(2) students backslid a little while internalizing teachers' questions concerning critical thinking;(3) students improved reliably in terms of local and global coherence in their written production with the help of teachers' questions. The findings indicate that teachers' questions facilitate students' development of critical thinking and enhance their discourse level writing skill.

The Discourse of English Reading Lessons in Chinese Middle Schools: A Sociocultural Perspective

While the research agenda of classroom interaction has long been well established internationally, scholars in China have paid little empirical attention to these developments until recently. Furthermore, among the body of work on the local classroom discourse, very few studies have focused on the secondary sectors. From the perspective of the sociocultural theory （SCT）, this article examines the classroom discourse of Chinese middle school English language teaching （ELT） by investigating teacher-student interaction. The transcribed classroom discourse of 8 teachers＇ reading lessons is qualitatively coded and quantitatively measured. The study draws on a descriptive system focusing on the teacher-led three-part initiation-response-feedback （IRF） structure. The research findings reveal that quite similar discourse patterns are found in the lessons sampled, with the initiation-response-evaluation （IRE） sequence dominating the EFL （English as a Foreign Language） classroom interaction investigated. Theoretically, the paper aims to place the SCT perspectives in the foreground. Pedagogically, it attempts to raise teacher-practitioners＇ levels of awareness of the use of teacher talk in EFL classroom interaction.

A Study of the Impacts of Participating in the “CCTV CUP ” English Public Speaking Contest on the Contestants

Up to now there still lacks relevant study on what role participating in English public speaking contests plays in cultivating students＇ English public speaking ability and the instruction of this course. The ＂CCTV CUP＂ English public speaking contest1 is one of the most important contests of this field. Despite a few studies on the ＂CCTV CUP＂ in the literature, none of them has focused on the contestants＇ perspective. This paper first attempts to describe the ＂CCTV CUP＂ English public speaking contest from the perspective of sociocultural theory and social realism. Then it takes 7 final contestants＇ ＂reactions to participating in the contest＂ for analysis, focusing on what impacts participating in this contest brought on them. The results show that participating in the ＂CCTV CUP＂ English public speaking contest not only deepened the contestants＇ understandings about English public speaking, but brought significant harvests at ability training, and the increase of life experience and wisdom. At last, it gives relevant suggestions on the instruction of English public speaking course.

LEARNING THEORIES AND SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

This article critically examines three most influential learning theories that underlie the instruction and learning environments in second language learning (SLL). Evaluation follows the description of each theory. The point is to understand the impacts of different theories on second language learning. The paper argues that an integrated approach, which combines the three theories, is needed.

A Case Study of Classic Prose as a Psychological Tool in Reflection Writing

This paper presents a case study of second language （L2） writing from a sociocultural perspective and highlights the mediational role of a piece of classic prose, ＂Youth,＂ as a psychological tool in the reflection writing process. Sixty English majors from a Chinese university participated in the study. Data were collected through reflection writing and interviews and were treated with the grounded theory method. The findings showed that in the appropriation of the classic prose, students not only improved their language skills but also deepened their understanding of the theme, which contributed to the buildup of their philosophy of life in a meaningful way.