In reaction to what they considered the prevailing bias of second language acquisition (SLA) research towards cognitive-oriented theories, Firth and Wagner (1997) called for a greater recognition of the social context and interactive nature of language use. Without negating the importance of cognitive dimensions of learning, the authors noted that “language is acquired and learned through social interaction … and should be studied in interactive encounters” (Firth & Wagner, 1997, p. 287). The article set off a firestorm of controversy. Some critics argued that language acquisition is “fundamentally a psycholinguistic process” (Gass & Selinker, 2001, p. 239), and that language acquisition and language use are two entirely separate entities (Gass, 1998). Firth and Wagner acknowledged this criticism, but still maintained that language acquisition “is built on language use” (Firth & Wagner, 2007, p. 806) and that it is a process that takes place “in the micromoments of social interaction” (Firth & Wagner, 2007, p. 807). This perspective was echoed by Wenger (1998), who stated that “learners are social beings … this fact is a central aspect of learning” (Wenger, 1998, p. 4). For Wenger, learning is a fundamentally social activity that occurs in communities of practice, where learners form identities as they negotiate meaning through interactive practice with others.
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机译:为了回应他们认为第二语言习得(SLA)研究对认知导向理论普遍存在的偏见,Firth and Wagner(1997)呼吁人们进一步认识语言使用的社会背景和互动性质。在不忽略学习的认知维度的重要性的情况下,作者指出“语言是通过社交互动来获得和学习的……应该在互动交流中进行研究”(Firth&Wagner,1997,p.287)。这篇文章引起了争议。一些批评者认为,语言习得“从根本上说是一种心理语言过程”(Gass&Selinker,2001,第239页),而语言习得和语言使用是两个完全独立的实体(Gass,1998)。 Firth和Wagner承认了这种批评,但仍然坚持认为语言习得“建立在语言使用的基础上”(Firth&Wagner,2007年,第806页),并且这是“在社会互动的微小时刻”发生的过程(Firth &Wagner,2007,p.807)。这种观点得到了温格(1998)的回应,他说“学习者是社会存在的人……这一事实是学习的中心方面”(Wenger,1998,第4页)。对于温格来说,学习是一种在实践社区中发生的根本性的社会活动,学习者通过与他人的互动练习来协商含义,从而形成身份。
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