Mimesis and second language acquisition: A sociocultural perspective

Abstract

Donald (2001) argued that mimesis is fundamental to communication and culture. The basic level of mimetic action is mime - as found, for example, in the imaginative, expressive play of children, who typically imitate aspects of the world around them, including the actions of their parents, and pretend to be those they will become. Mimesis has a prominent position in the lives of children in relation to language acquisition as well; for example, Nelson (1996) found that mimetic portrayals of events, such as in play, largely precede language and are key to its development. According to Donald, mimesis is also central to tribal identity (culture), in how emotions are expressed and understood. This article argues that mimesis plays two prominent roles in acquiring another language. The first relates to how people materialize aspects of their second language discourse through gesture as a means of making meaning for themselves as well as for interlocutors. This perspective is grounded in the Vygotskian branch of Soviet psychology, particularly the work of Gal'perin (1989). The so-called tribal aspect of mimesis (identity) in the form of gesture is also taken up in relation to SLA, again from a sociocultural perspective. Overall, it is argued that our material being impacts the way we live and learn and that sound theories of SLA will need to take this into account. © 2008 Cambridge University Press.