Review of 'Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language Development' James P. Lantolf & Steven L. Thorne. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. xi + 398 pp.

Abstract

Lantolf and Thorne present a compelling coverage of the history of sociocultural theory and its transformation into activity theory. In order to present the content of 'Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language Development', the board game Monopoly is used as an analogy. 'Action Theory' (Chapters 8 and 9) can best be understood when we consider the structure of a game such as Monopoly. First, there are the rules and regulations that govern the game. Then there are the artifacts, such as paper money, dice, and the board (Chapter 8). Finally, there are the players, who may know each other and form part of the community of players with a leader, or who may not know each other, in which case a large number will form the inner circle while others will act as new players and will be apprentices of the playing process, not only learning the language but also what constitutes acceptable forms of participation. The players then divide the roles that they will perform during the game (such as banker, real estate manager, and participant). The game becomes a little more complicated once it begins. First, the players will observe each other's behavior attempting to notice who is or isn't alert, who can be duped, and who should not be offended or taken advantage of. Once this is established then the rules start to be broken with "under-the-table deals" or cheating strategies. Players might develop a type of coded language or have established certain gestures to indicate their deals, otherwise known as 'symbolic mediation' (Chapters 4 and 5). Although all players are connected through the game and its artifacts, each player is an individual, and this is where the intricate details of gaming become complicated. Sociocultural theory begins to explain what goes on inside the individual during participation in an activity.