Second Language Literacy Pedagogy: A Sociocultural Theory Perspective(162 Second Language Acquisition)

This book provides a detailed and comprehensive design of a new second language literacy pedagogy and the results of implementing this pedagogy in different contexts in order to demonstrate that it is possible to address some long-standing second language (L2) curriculum and literacy development challenges. The author clearly explains the theory behind Vygotskian Sociocultural Theory of Mind and Systemic Functional Linguistics and how they can inform literacy pedagogy in the form of Concept-Based Language Instruction and a Division-of-Labor Pedagogy. By presenting detailed qualitative and quantitative analyses and results of multiple forms of data, the author demonstrates the effectiveness of the pedagogy. In conjunction with background on the intricate and interdependent nature of the concepts needed for second language literacy development, and in contrast with a cognitivist approach to reading pedagogy and research, the author provides all the details necessary for teachers and researchers to appreciate both the theory and how it can be applied to their practice.

Table of Contents:
Figures Tables Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Introduction - Current State of Second Language Reading Pedagogy and Pedagogical Concerns Chapter 2. Second Language Reading/Literacy and Pedagogy       Chapter 3. Vygotskian Second Language Literacy Pedagogy          Chapter 4. Developing Second Language Narrative Literacy          Chapter 5. Developing Awareness in Literacy Concepts    Chapter 6. Tracing Literacy Development Chapter 7. Future Developments in Vygotskian Second Language Literacy Pedagogy Appendix References Index

About the Author :
Kimberly Buescher Urbanski is Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, USA. Her research interests include L2 learning and teaching, L2 literacy and Sociocultural Theory. She has published on L2 literacy pedagogy, gesture research methodology, concept-based language instruction, L2 French preposition pedagogy and Cognitive Linguistic analysis.

Review :
This book is unique in so many ways. It examines both the processes and products of literacy development from a Vygotskian SCT perspective. Instructionally, concept-based learning and a division of labor pedagogy are used. Changes in teacher and peer mediation as well as student verbalizations are shown to lead to the internalization of key literacy concepts. This is a must-read for anyone interested in a Vygotskian perspective of second language literacy development. A groundbreaking book that sheds light on L2 literacy pedagogy and offers valuable insights into L2 reading research from a Vygotskian perspective. This work will inspire future investigations into praxis-based teaching and research in L2 development. A must-read for all researcher-teachers. Urbanski’s work convincingly demonstrates the relevance of sociocultural theory for second language development, including reading ability. An especially attractive aspect of her approach is ‘division of labor pedagogy’, which takes advantage of the power of the collective for the development of the individual. I encourage all reading educators to engage with this work. There is much to learn from it. There is a widely recognised disparity in foreign language programmes between courses that focus on language learning and those aimed at interpreting and analysing literary texts in the target language (Alderson, 1984; Bernhardt, 2010). This book offers a valuable resource to address this challenge by providing readers with a comprehensive overview of the L2 development process. It introduces an innovative instructional approach that combines C-BLI and DOLP pedagogy to bridge the gap between language acquisition and literary analysis.