Language Socialization Theory and the

Acquisition of Pragmatics in the Foreign

Language Classroom

CREMF – Beni Mellal

Module: Further Training 3
Presented by: Rida Aquajou – Omar El Harch – Miloud Aitblal
– Ayoub Semsali – Houssam Dine El Zahi – Ismail El
Maazouz – Brahim Bouhtta
Outline

01 ILP and SL 03 SL theory in FLA

02 LS theory 04 SL theory SLA

Outline

Studies of LS in Pedagogical
05 FLC
06 Implications
 Two
perspectives
SLA

The cognitive The socio-

approaches in cultural
SLA theories in SLA
Cognitive approaches in SLA

 1960-1970: cognitive approaches to language

acquisition began to dominate, influenced by
developments in psychology and linguistics. The
focus was on understanding the mental processes
involved in learning a new language.
 The focus is on the mental processes.
 They see language learning as an individual,
context-independent activity.
Information processing models(1980s-
1990s)
 Seeslanguage learning similar to how computer
process information, involving stages of input,
processing, storage, and retrieval.
 Example

a learner practices conjugating verbs through

repetitive drills until they can do it automatically
without much conscious thought.
Research methods in cognitive
approaches in SLA

1. Controlled conditions: data often collected

under experiential or quasi- experiential
conditions
2. Discourse completion tasks: learners imagine
responses in given contexts
3. Did not involve real-life social interaction and
cultural contexts.
Limitations of the cognitive
approaches
 Imaginary contexts: limited reflection of real-world
language use.
 Few contextual studies

Early 2000s: although cognitive approaches

remained influential, there was growing recognition
of their limitations, particularly in ignoring the
cultural and social context of language use. This
period marked the beginning of a shift toward
integrating socio cultural perspectives
The emergence of the socio-cultural
theories
 Late 1990s- early 2000s: there was a significant
increase in research focused on the social aspects
of language learning. In other words, sociocultural
theories became more mainstream in SAL
research. Studies started to focus more on real
life context and naturalistic data collection. The
field began to acknowledge the limitation of
purely cognitive approaches and the need for a
more holistic view of language learning
Social Constructivism

 Seeslanguage learning as a process that is

fundamentally social and interactive . It
emphasizes the role of social interaction ,cultural
context, and collaborative learning in the
development of language skills .
 Language is learned within the context of its use.
Communities of practice(Jean Lave and Etienne
Wenger, 1991)

 Learning occurs through participation in social

communities where language is apart of shared
practice
 Example
A language learner improves their skills by
participating in a local community club where
members regularly use the target language
 LANGUAGE SOCIALIZATION
THEORY

PIONEERED BY ELINOR OCHS AND BAMBI SCHIEFFELIN

•LANGUAGE SOCIALIZATION (LS)
THEORY EXPLORES HOW
INDIVIDUALS ACQUIRE LANGUAGE
THROUGH SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
AND IMMERSION IN CULTURAL
CONTEXTS. IT EMPHASIZES THE
IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL,
CULTURAL, AND CONTEXTUAL
FACTORS IN THE PROCESS OF
LANGUAGE LEARNING, PROPOSING
THAT LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IS
CHARACTERISTICS
• HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE
LEARNER: LS THEORY VIEWS
LANGUAGE LEARNERS AS WHOLE
BEINGS, ENCOMPASSING SOCIAL,
EMOTIONAL, MENTAL, AND
PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS. IT
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT
LEARNERS' SOCIOCULTURAL AND
PERSONAL CONTEXTS
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THEIR
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.
• CONTEXTUAL LEARNING:
EMPHASIZES THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE
SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT
IN WHICH LANGUAGE
LEARNING OCCURS.
LANGUAGE USE AND
LEARNING ARE SEEN AS
INSEPARABLE FROM THE
CULTURAL NORMS AND
• INTERACTIONAL
PROCESS: FOCUSES ON THE
ROLE OF SOCIAL
INTERACTIONS IN
LANGUAGE LEARNING.
THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN
EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES AND
CONVERSATIONS, LEARNERS
ACQUIRE LANGUAGE AS
WELL AS CULTURAL
• DEVELOPMENTAL
PERSPECTIVE: LANGUAGE
SOCIALIZATION IS VIEWED AS A
LIFELONG PROCESS THAT
CONTINUES THROUGH VARIOUS
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT. IT
CONSIDERS BOTH MICRO-LEVEL
INTERACTIONS (INDIVIDUAL
CONVERSATIONS) AND MACRO-
LEVEL CULTURAL PATTERNS.
IMPORTANCE
•COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING:
PROVIDES A MORE COMPREHENSIVE
UNDERSTANDING OF LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION BY INTEGRATING SOCIAL,
CULTURAL, AND COGNITIVE ASPECTS.
•PRACTICAL APPLICATION: OFFERS
VALUABLE INSIGHTS FOR LANGUAGE
TEACHING AND LEARNING,
HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR CONTEXT-
RICH AND INTERACTIVE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS.
• CULTURAL AWARENESS: ENCOURAGES
THE INCLUSION OF CULTURAL
KNOWLEDGE AND SOCIAL NORMS IN
LANGUAGE EDUCATION, FOSTERING
GREATER CULTURAL AWARENESS AND
SENSITIVITY AMONG LEARNERS.
LS theory is an interactionist approach that emphasizes the importance of
social interaction in language acquisition. It proposes a dual relationship
between language and socialization: being socialized to use language and being
socialized through the use of language.

 Socialization to use language:

involves learners being instructed on appropriate language usage
in various contexts. This teaching can take direct forms, where
learners are explicitly told what to say, or indirect forms, where
learners are prompted to respond appropriately.

23
 Direct Teaching:
Definition: Explicit instructions given to a learner on how to act or
respond in a specific situation.
Example: A caregiver instructs a child, "Say, thank you," after
receiving a gift.

 Indirect Teaching:
Definition: Guidance provided through prompts or questions,
encouraging learners to think and respond appropriately.
Example: A caregiver asks a child, "What do you say?" when someone
gives them a gift.
24
  Classroom Application:

Foreign Language Teaching: Educators guide students on culturally

appropriate language use.

Example: In a Spanish class, the teacher might explain, "When you

meet someone new, it's polite to say 'Mucho gusto' [Nice to meet you]
instead of just 'Hola' [Hello] to show friendliness."

25
  Socialization through the use of language:

Definition: The process through which learners gain understanding of a culture,

including their status, role, rights, and obligations, while learning the language.
Key Components:
Discourse Structure: How conversations are organized and flow within the
culture.
Example: In many Middle Eastern cultures, conversations often begin with
extensive greetings and inquiries about family and health, reflecting the value
placed on personal relationships.

Linguistic Forms: The specific words and phrases used in various contexts.
Example: In French, the use of "tu" (informal 'you') versus "vous" (formal 'you')
indicates the level of formality and respect in a relationship.

26
 Implicit Messages:
Values: What the culture deems important.
Example: In many Indigenous cultures, storytelling is not only a way to pass
on knowledge but also a crucial method of preserving community values and
history.
Beliefs: What the culture holds to be true.
Example: In German culture, punctuality is a reflection of reliability and
respect, so being on time is highly emphasized.
Attitudes: The culture's general feelings or predispositions.
Example: In Brazilian culture, a relaxed attitude toward time and schedules
reflects a broader emphasis on flexibility and personal interaction.
Worldview: How the culture perceives and interprets the world.
Example: In Thai culture, the concept of "sanuk" (fun) is integrated into daily
life, emphasizing a worldview where enjoyment and light-heartedness are
essential aspects of social interactions.

27
03
LS and First Language
Acquisition
LS and First Language Acquisition

• LS theory was first developed in the study of first language and culture
acquisition within the field of anthropology and many studies began to appear
in the mid to late 1980s.

• The method of investigation viewed language acquisition holistically.

LS and First Language Acquisition

• The process of acquisition is as important as the product, attention is focused

not only on the language of the child, but also on the built environment.
society’s view of the child and beliefs about language acquisition

• This is not to say that all persons in a speech community are identical in their
values and beliefs. There is, of course, some degree of individual variation.
LS and First Language Acquisition

• Language socialization is a two-way process.

• Children are socialized through the use of language in their mother

tongue, they develop not only a language for communication but also
a language for identification (Hu¨llen, 1992 as cited by House,
2003).
04
LS and Second
Language Acquisition
What is LS?
• Language socialization (LS) refers to the process by which individuals acquire,
reproduce, and transform the knowledge and competence that enable them to
participate appropriately within specific communities of language users.

• LS is concerned with both ‘socialization through the use of language and

socialization to use language’ (Schieffelin and Ochs 1986, p. 163).

(Lee, Jin Sook, Buholtz, Mary, 2015)

What is SLA?

• It is the systematic study of how people learn a language other than their
mother tongue.

• Second language acquisition or SLA is the process of learning other languages

in addition to the native language.

(Md. Enamul Hoque, 2017)

LS and Second Language Acquisition

• During the 1990s, studies of second language socialization began to appear.

• Studies of the socialization of foreign language learners in either study abroad

contexts or foreign language classrooms at home have so far been small in
number.

• These studies demonstrate that LS theory can be an appropriate framework for

teaching and researching pragmatics in the foreign language classroom (cf.
Kasper, 2001).
LS and Second Language Acquisition

• The process of second and foreign language socialization rests on a different

set of assumptions than that of L1 socialization.

• In the case of first language socialization, children have ready access to

competent members of their target community.
LS and Second Language Acquisition
Assumptions:

1. In contrast, foreign language learners frequently find themselves outside the

target culture without ready access to native speakers of the target language
even when they are surrounded by them (Hoffman-Hicks, 2000; Isabelli-
Garcı´a, 2003, 2006; Kinginger & Whitworth, 2005).
LS and Second Language Acquisition
Assumptions:

2. While L1 acquisition studies have focused on monolingual acquisition and

membership in a single speech community, no such assumption can be taken
for granted in foreign language contexts (Duff, 2003).
LS and Second Language Acquisition
• In light of these complexities, research on foreign language acquisition and
sociocultural membership needs to consider the diverse backgrounds,
experiences, and motivations of learners, as well as the dynamic nature of
language and culture in foreign language contexts. Understanding how
learners navigate these complexities can provide valuable insights into the
process of foreign language learning and the development of sociocultural
competence in multilingual and multicultural environments.
LS and Second Language Acquisition

• Foreign language learners are interested in English as a language for

communication but not as a language for identification (House, 2003).

• In this respect, House suggests that in EFL classrooms, native speaker norms
should not be the standard; instead we should look to expert EFL users, who
have been successful communicators in international discourse, an approach
that is in line with recent work in English for Specific Purposes with respect to
pragmatics. (language socializers)
LS and Second Language Acquisition

So, House approach is focused on the importance of looking to expert English as

a Foreign Language (EFL) users.

• Expert EFL Users as a model.

• Diversity of English use.

• English for Specific Purposes and pragmatics.

• Cultural sensitivity.
LS and Second Language Acquisition

Classroom teachers need to be mindful of the current and possible future goals of
the students they teach:

 Is their goal to gain literacy in the foreign language in order to access material
published in that language?

 Is it to acquire communicative competence in order to interact with native

members of the target language community while studying or working
abroad?
LS and Second Language Acquisition

• The answers to these questions will help determine what the learners need to
be socialized to, who might be most appropriate to socialize them and how it
might be appropriate to socialize them in the academic environment.

• e.g. nursing
LS and Second Language Acquisition

KEEP IN MIND

• In foreign language classrooms, even in situations where one might socialize

students into a specific culture as they teach language, it will likely not be
possible to replicate the native classroom conditions in the target language
classroom except possibly in very closely related cultures due to cultural,
institutional and legal constraints.
LS and Second Language Acquisition

As an example
 American foreign student in Indonesia.
 one’s grade in Indonesia does not have the same legal privacy protection it
does in America.
 Studies of Language
Socialization in the Foreign
Language Classroom
 Study: 1 by Bebee and Takahashi
 the extent to which learners transfer the 'rules of speaking’ of
their native language into the L2.
 . Beebe and Takahashi pointed out the stereotypes regarding
Japanese people: they’re supposed to apologize a lot, to be
less direct and less explicit than Americans, to avoid making
critical remarks to someone’s face, to avoid disagreement, and
to avoid telling people things that they do not want to hear.
 The results of their research indicate that these stereotypes are not
warranted. Frequently, for instance, the learners were more direct
than the native speakers and in certain situations they showed no
reluctance to convey unpleasant information.
Study Focus
 Kanagy (1999) studied American kindergarten children learning Japanese
in an immersion program. The study focused on three routines: greetings,
taking attendance, and personal introductions.
 Methods used included modeling, repetition, verbal prompts, nonverbal
demonstrations, and feedback.
 This method helped children learn both the verbal and nonverbal forms
needed for these routines.
 The teaching approach conveyed the importance of form and appearance
in Japanese culture, and taught the value of observation and imitation in
learning.
 Bell (1995) studied learning Chinese literacy at the college level. Like
Kanagy's study, Bell's tutor focused heavily on form, observation, and
imitation.

 Language acquisition.

 Bell (1995) argues that learning to read and write in Chinese by

simply transcribing English thoughts into Chinese characters isn't the
same as truly developing Chinese literacy

 Although Bell was not aware of Language Socialization (LS) theory

when she conducted her research, her experience as a language learner
led her to conclude that learning language and literacy cannot be
separated from the culture in which they are used.
 Pedagogical
Implications
 Raising teachers’ awareness of LS theory

 Teachers should be aware that Language Socialization (LS) is always

happening in the classroom, and their words and actions send
important messages to students about what is valued, believed, and
considered acceptable in the classroom.

 Consistency

 Teachers should make sure that their explicit instructions match their
implicit messages to avoid confusion and mixed signals.
 Adapting to rapid societal changes
 Teachers should utilize LS theory to comprehend and respond effectively
to rapid shifts in societal values resulting in the emergence of new norms
of interaction that impact classroom language dynamics.

Example

During a societal shift towards digital communication, new interaction norms

(like using social media language) might emerge.

Teacher adapt to these changes by incorporating digital communication

styles in their teaching and then observe how these changes affect the
classroom environment.
Cultural socialization

Teachers need to:

 Identify the specific cultural group into which students are being
socialized and understand its communicative norms.

 Select the appropriate sample of socializers (native speakers, experts

in specific contexts) based on students' goals.

 Understand and teach the norms of communicative behavior specific

to that group so that students can communicate effectively and
appropriately within that cultural context.
Socialization into Pluralism and Tolerance

Students should be taught that different languages and cultures have

unique communicative goals and behaviors, including grammatical,
phonological, and pragmatic aspects. No variety is better than the
other, they are just different.

Understanding the Connection between Language and Identity

Changes in language can significantly affect identity in several ways, as

language is deeply intertwined with personal, social, and cultural
identity.
Enhancing Socialization through Context-Enriched Instruction

Teachers should incorporate more authentic materials and contexts

into their instruction. This can be achieved by using video clips,
authentic photos, and other multimedia resources that provide
learners with realistic examples of language use and non-verbal cues.
If I see videos of Russians interacting, it’s gonna be better than somebody drawing
out a picture...All those millions of little cues such as movement of the shoulder or
the wince, or a smile, or a blush; all those millions of things that are language.
(Narzieva, 2005: 70)
 References
● Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford University Press.

● Eva Alcón Soler, & Martínez-FlorA. (2008). Investigating pragmatics in foreign language learning,

teaching and testing. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, Cop.

● Hoque, E. (2017, September). An introduction to the second language acquisition. ResearchGate.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335690866_An_Introduction_to_the_Second_Language_

Acquisition

● Lee, J., & Bucholtz, M. (n.d.). UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Barbara Previously Published Works

Title Language socialization across learning spaces Publication Date.

https://escholarship.org/content/qt4h89b3z0/qt4h89b3z0.pdf