How Socio-culturally Informed Approaches in the Field of Second Language Acquisition Can Reshape our English Language Pedagogy
Abstract
The 1990s marked the rise of social perspectives in Second Language Acquisition (SLA), as many scholars called for more emphasis on this area of theory and research. This study examines socioculturally informed approaches that reconceptualize second language learning as a socially situated, mediated, and identity-related process. Drawing on Sociocultural Theory, the identity approach, and the language socialization approach, the study analyzes their core principles and explains how they expand SLA pedagogy beyond traditional cognitivist paradigms. Building on these perspectives, the study proposes a synthesized conceptual model that includes mechanisms of mediation and guided participation, issues of access influenced by investment and power, socialization pathways across various settings and over time, and diverse learning outcomes. This model helps clarify the theoretical tensions among the three approaches by explaining how language learning occurs, who gains access to learning opportunities, and why outcomes vary among learners and contexts. The study also translates this integrated framework into pedagogical implications for English language instruction, promoting mediation-rich teaching, dynamic assessment, identity-affirming practices, power-aware classroom participation, and equitable access to interaction and support.