A Sociocultural Approach to Analyzing L2 Development in the Spanish L2 Classroom

Abstract

Framed within a Sociocultural Theory of Mind approach to the field of Second Language Acquisition, this article proposes a comprehensive analysis to studying learners' development and internalization of grammatical concepts in the L2 classroom. The present investigation focuses on the case study of Julian, a student enrolled in an advanced Spanish course struggling with the notion of aspect. Julian's development is examined through an analytic approach of multiple sets of data (definition, written performance protocols, and verbalizations) before and after being exposed to Concept-Based Instruction. It is proposed that interpreting learner's performance by connecting different types of developmental data allows for a closer examination of the process of concept formation and internalization in the L2. The analytical approach presented in this article also provides researchers and practitioners with the necessary tools to understand how learners transform their conceptual understanding through conscious manipulations, which have the potential to foster the development of complex grammatical notions.