The chapter examines the pedagogical implications for English language teaching of the fundamental
theoretical tenet of sociocultural theory: higher forms of human consciousness are semiotically mediated. In the first part of the chapter, I will discuss the specifics of what it means to make such a claim regarding human thinking. I will consider the following theoretical constructs: the zone of proximal development, internalization, imitation, and private speech. In the second part of the chapter, I will consider the implications of the theory for the English language classroom. In particular, I will focus on ways in which the theory compels us to reinterpret the relationship between learners and teachers, the role that activity as
defined in sociocultural theory plays in learning, how we understand successful learning, and the
relationship between learning, development, and assessment. |