LANGUAGE AS SOCIAL PRACTICE

1. LANGUAGE AS SOCIAL PRACTICE �we learn to do literacy as we learn how to behave and belong in our families and communities� (Breen et al, 1994)

3. DISCOURSE COMMUNITIES According to Gee(1991, p.2) a Discourse Community is a socially meaningful group or social network that use the same ways of language, and of thinking and acting. Individuals become members by either acquisition or learning. Gee.(1991, p.8) believes that �both primary and secondary Discourses for most people most of the time is only mastered through acquisition, not learning.� Types of Discourses include both Primary and Secondary Discourses. Primary Discourses � influence and determine behaviours, morals, values and the use of language. Eg- the family Secondary Discourses � social institutions beyond the family and require one to communicate with non-intimates. Eg- schools, workplaces, stores, churches.

4. SOCIO-CULTURAL APPROACHES Contexts of Use Droga & Humphries (2003, p.2) believe context of use influences & shapes our language use. Contexts include cultural, socio cultural and situational contexts. Cultural contexts � shape the way we achieve goals through use of language and text types. (Droga & Humphries 2003, p.2) Socio cultural contexts � factors like socio economic status, gender, ethnic background and age influence language choices these cultures make. (Droga & Humphries 2003 p.2) Situational contexts � influences text type we use to achieve a particular social purpose. They may vary from within the home, community, workplace and school.(Droga & Humphries 2003, p.2) Lev Vygotsky Lev Vygotsky believed that children actively construct their own knowledge + social interaction and culture played an important part in this. (Santrock 2004, p.35) Came up with process of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) which was to guide and assist an individual through a task too difficult to master alone but was still achievable. (Santrock 2004, p. 230) Vygotsky believed process of scaffolding was useful strategy to enable individual to reach their ZPD of new concept, word or skill. (Santrock 2004, p.230)

5. SOCIO-CULTURAL APPROACHES CONT�D M.A.K. Halliday. Halliday believed that �language development is something which is taking place naturally, with every child, long before the processes of his education begin.� (Halliday 1990, p. 1). He believes the child is actively involved in communication, exchanging signals with others from day he is born he starts learning language.(Halliday 1990, p. 1) Halliday(1990, p. 3) states that �a child has to construct language, but he does not do this alone, he does it in interaction with others�the others are not simply providing a model-they are actively engaged in the construction process along with him.� Halliday believes that the child uses protolanguage as a request for interaction through sharing of a common experience. He states that protolanguage includes use of symbols to portray meaning to others or make a request from others. (Halliday1990, p. 5). According to Halliday (1990, p6) there are 2 levels of protolanguage. Halliday (1990, p.7) believes that �meaning takes place in social contexts that are shared with significant others that are part of the child�s meaning group.�

6. CONTEXT OF SCHOOLING These socio cultural approaches are applied within the context of school through use of; Teaching learning cycle � encourages language development within the classroom as learner and teacher communicate + use several text types to achieve purpose of task.(Love et al 2002) Scaffolding + modelling can be implemented into the stages of the teaching learning cycle. Eg- teacher teaches learner to write letter in second language they have learnt through use of Teaching learning cycle, scaffolding and modelling.( Love et al 2002) These teaching strategies all work towards shifting the expertise progressively from teacher to student + from being outsiders to insiders of a particular Discourse

7. CONCLUSION Literacy is learnt within primary Discourse of family or close intimates which influence our values, beliefs and use of language. Gee (1991) May then become insiders of secondary Discourses where language is further enhanced through the use of secondary text types. Gee(1991) These Discourse communities influence the way we behave and belong in our communities and families. Socio Cultural approaches including theories of Halliday & Vygotsky enhance language development. These socio cultural approaches construct language development and learning through the use of teaching learning cycle, scaffolding, modelling and protolanguage to reach the ZPD for that individual. These teaching strategies used within the schooling context move the individual from being an outsider to becoming an insider within the particular Discourse community they are acquiring.

8. REFERENCES Droga, L & Humphrey, S 2003, Grammar and Meaning: An introduction for primary teachers, Target Texts, Berry, Australia, p. 2. Gee, J 1991, Rewriting Literacy, Bergen & Garney, New York, pp. 1-11. Halliday, M, 1990, Three Aspects of Children�s Language Development, in oral and written language development; impact on schools, ed. Goodman, Y, International reading Association and National Council of Teachers, pp. 7-19. Love, K, Pigdon, K, Baker, G & Hamston, J 2002, BUILT: Building understandings in literacy and teaching, 2nd edn, CD-ROM, University of Melbourne, Melbourne. Santrock, J 2004, Child Development, 10th edn, McGraw Hill Companies, New York, p. 35, p.230