School of Languages and Linguistics - Theses
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ItemMediation, internalization, and perezhivanie in second language learning: An autoethnographic case study of learning Mandarin as an L2 through Livemocha( 2013)The aim of this study is to develop a better understanding of the sociocultural concepts of mediation and internalization in second language learning. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (SCT) has gained acceptance within second language acquisition (SLA) research, however, SLA researchers have maintained cognitivist tendencies, and overlooked the methodological holism that Vygotsky had proposed. I argue that restoring his concept of perezhivanie (lived experience) as a unit of analysis allows researchers to take a more holistic approach to SCT-SLA to better understand the experience of mediation and internalization in language learning. To embrace a holistic approach, I undertook an autoethnography of learning Mandarin as an L2 through the social network language learning site, focusing on the ways in which my language learning was mediated. Spending two to three hours a day for five weeks on Livemocha, I kept a journal of my experiences learning Mandarin. Through four cycles of qualitative analysis, five themes emerged. First, my L1 was not simply a passive influence, but a resource that I could draw on to make associations with the L2, sometimes in unexpected ways. Second, the experience of frustration appeared to motivate my use of superficial strategies, like guessing, as my orientation shifted from learning language to completing tasks. Third, I found that memory (and the associated concept of noticing), as a mediator, was directed not only to linguistic forms, but also to experiences such as frustration, confusion, and forgetfulness. Fourth, I argue that shifts in my perception of Mandarin (e.g., from seeing separate morphemes, to seeing whole multi-morphemic words), are possibly indicative of internalization. Finally, as my attitudes towards the course content of Livemocha grew increasingly negative, I found myself relying more and more on the feedback—a form of social mediation—I was receiving from speakers of Mandarin on the website. In concluding the study, I discuss the implications of these themes, arguing that the emic perspective employed here problematises previously cognitivist conceptions within SLA. Embracing holism, the use of autoethnography in this study foregrounds the role of lived experience in better understanding how mediation operates, and internalization manifests, in learning. Considered together, the five themes that emerged from the study point to an important experiential dimension of learning that needs further investigation to supplement SLA research generally, and SCT approaches specifically.