Can a sociolinguistic perspective of Second Language Acquisition solve ‘the longstanding human curiosity’ of learning languages?

The present paper looks into SLA research which has been overwhelmed with multitude of competing theories, thus making it plausible that none of them alone can explain the complex issue to a satisfying extent. Following the search for complementarity, this study seeks to show how a sociolinguistic a...

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Main Author: Isabelle Sophie Thaler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2019-09-01
Series:Training, Language and Culture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://rudn.tlcjournal.org/archive/3(3)/3(3)-03.pdf
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author Isabelle Sophie Thaler
author_facet Isabelle Sophie Thaler
author_sort Isabelle Sophie Thaler
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description The present paper looks into SLA research which has been overwhelmed with multitude of competing theories, thus making it plausible that none of them alone can explain the complex issue to a satisfying extent. Following the search for complementarity, this study seeks to show how a sociolinguistic approach contributes to the understanding of SLA, by pointing to gains as well as to limitations of applying only such an approach. Responding to the appeal for an enhancement of using sociolinguistic as well as socio-cognitive theories, this paper pursues this endeavour by critically analysing a sociolinguistic approach and zooming in on research on two articles – by Soltani (2018) and Anderson (2017) – about study abroad in Anglophone countries. The author argues that although the two studies are focused on a specific group of learners in specific circumstances and might not have contributed to an improvement in a narrow view of SLA, they have highlighted the need to put cognitive theories into a socialisation perspective and to recognise that similar issues might arise when other target groups such as EFL secondary school students go abroad on a school exchange and are confronted with socialisation into family, school or peers. The paper concludes that if sociolinguistic approaches seek a holistic account of the complexities of second language learning, they should adapt to new developments and collaborate with cognitive theories.
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spelling doaj.art-13a5d1e029e6462ab9b27958dbe5c0872022-12-22T02:23:33ZengPeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)Training, Language and Culture2520-20732521-442X2019-09-0133365510.29366/2019tlc.3.3.3Can a sociolinguistic perspective of Second Language Acquisition solve ‘the longstanding human curiosity’ of learning languages?Isabelle Sophie Thaler0University of CambridgeThe present paper looks into SLA research which has been overwhelmed with multitude of competing theories, thus making it plausible that none of them alone can explain the complex issue to a satisfying extent. Following the search for complementarity, this study seeks to show how a sociolinguistic approach contributes to the understanding of SLA, by pointing to gains as well as to limitations of applying only such an approach. Responding to the appeal for an enhancement of using sociolinguistic as well as socio-cognitive theories, this paper pursues this endeavour by critically analysing a sociolinguistic approach and zooming in on research on two articles – by Soltani (2018) and Anderson (2017) – about study abroad in Anglophone countries. The author argues that although the two studies are focused on a specific group of learners in specific circumstances and might not have contributed to an improvement in a narrow view of SLA, they have highlighted the need to put cognitive theories into a socialisation perspective and to recognise that similar issues might arise when other target groups such as EFL secondary school students go abroad on a school exchange and are confronted with socialisation into family, school or peers. The paper concludes that if sociolinguistic approaches seek a holistic account of the complexities of second language learning, they should adapt to new developments and collaborate with cognitive theories.https://rudn.tlcjournal.org/archive/3(3)/3(3)-03.pdfslasecond language acquisitionlanguage socialisationsocial turnstudy abroad
spellingShingle Isabelle Sophie Thaler
Can a sociolinguistic perspective of Second Language Acquisition solve ‘the longstanding human curiosity’ of learning languages?
Training, Language and Culture
sla
second language acquisition
language socialisation
social turn
study abroad
title Can a sociolinguistic perspective of Second Language Acquisition solve ‘the longstanding human curiosity’ of learning languages?
title_full Can a sociolinguistic perspective of Second Language Acquisition solve ‘the longstanding human curiosity’ of learning languages?
title_fullStr Can a sociolinguistic perspective of Second Language Acquisition solve ‘the longstanding human curiosity’ of learning languages?
title_full_unstemmed Can a sociolinguistic perspective of Second Language Acquisition solve ‘the longstanding human curiosity’ of learning languages?
title_short Can a sociolinguistic perspective of Second Language Acquisition solve ‘the longstanding human curiosity’ of learning languages?
title_sort can a sociolinguistic perspective of second language acquisition solve the longstanding human curiosity of learning languages
topic sla
second language acquisition
language socialisation
social turn
study abroad
url https://rudn.tlcjournal.org/archive/3(3)/3(3)-03.pdf
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