Reading response 4 - Assignment Example

Reading Response on “VARIATIONIST PERSPECTIVES” by R. Bayley & E. Tarone and “SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY” by J.P.Lantolf In the chapter on variationist perspectives to second language (L2) acquisition, Bayley and Tarone have said that like there are no single style speakers, there are also no single style learners of L2. Since the speaking style can range from informal to formal types, therefore L2 learners need to develop set of interlanguage styles. The difficulty that arises in discerning the responses of second language speakers is rooted in the fact that it is not possible to know how they perceive the norm of the target language.

When a speaker is speaking in native language, it can be easily concluded that the form of language being used is giving out the exact meaning of the words used. However, when a learner is giving a speech, then errors in using language forms can lead to confusion. The authors have also pointed that “the identity of the researcher has an impact on the speech of second language learners” (Bayley and Tarone, 2013, p.43). For instance, a L2 learner uses more native accent in their second language speech when interviewed by their native people than by foreigners.

It has also been stated that people living in a community have the same style of variations in their language. This theory is not clear since each individual may have difference in variation degrees. The authors have also used Liu’s longitudinal study of L2 variation on a five year old Chinese immigrant “Bob” to Australia (Bayley and Tarone, 2013, p.46). It was observed that in his developmental stage of learning English, Bob used more complex sentences when conversing with friends and peers, and simpler sentences when conversing with teachers.

It proved that Bob’s L2 acquisition is faster in informal environment. In the fourth chapter which is on sociocultural theory (SCT), the author Lantolf has said that “although SCT is a general theory of human mental development, it has been productively extended to include the investigation of second language development” (Lantolf, 2013, p.57). The basic concept of this theory, according to the author, is how a speaker masters “narrative performance through private speech” (Lantolf, 2013, p.57). Therefore, it can be observed that the level of second language acquisition does not depend only on internal ability of the learner, but also the external interactions that have a major impact on the learner’s ability to learn.

The major question explored in this chapter is the extent to which an individual uses his second language for cognitive thinking. It has been found from various research works that although learners tend to communicate in their newly acquired language they still depend on their first language (L1) for understanding tasks especially if the tasks are complicated. In case of psychological process, one mechanism is imitation. Learners can range from perfectly imitating to total failure in imitating recasts depending on their developmental process which in turn is influenced by the instructor.

Therefore, failure to imitate indicates that the instructor is not within a learner’s zone of proximal development. I found the chapters quite interesting although it can be concluded that further studies are required in the context of longitudinal studies of L2 acquisition. My personal experiences say that language learning involves two important elements: dedication towards experiencing a new language along with respect for the foreign culture, and a systematic process of learning. One important area of future research should be the L2 learning process through private speech.

ReferencesBayley, R. & E. Tarone (2013), Variationist perspectives, pp.41-56, In Gass, S.M. & A. Mackey (eds) The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition, NY: RoutledgeLantolf, J.P. (2013), Sociocultural Theory, pp.57-72, In Gass, S.M. & A. Mackey (eds) The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition, NY: Routledge