The Sociocultural Model:

Mediation and English Language Teaching at the Tertiary Level

Abstract

The sociocultural theory has been largely influenced by the Russian psychologist, Lev S. Vygotsky’s research and findings of the role of interaction in the development of children and the “workings of the human mind. This paper starts with an outline of Vygotsky’s theory which is the basis of and crucial to the understanding of the theory. It draws on all the tenets of Vygotsky’s theory which have formed the basis of sociocultural theory in the field of education in the recent years. The paper then moves on to analyse how the concept of ‘mediation’ has been adopted to second language learning and teaching with reference to some recent studies undertaken in the field. Suggestions have been made as to how this concept can be useful 1br teaching English to tertiary level students at private universities.