Language Teaching Through the Lenses of Cultural-Historical Theory: Attributing Meaning to English Throughout Childhood and Adolescence

Abstract

This article proposes a reflection on the teaching of the English language based on Cultural-Historical Theory (CHT), drawing on the studies of Vygotsky, Leontiev, and Luria. Grounded in a theoretical review, the text highlights central concepts such as mediation, zones of development (actual, proximal, and potential), internalization, appropriation, thought and language, study activity, and consciousness. Based on the Russian term obutchénie, the authors argue that teaching and learning are interdependent and dialectical processes that require intentional and contextualized teacher intervention. The work emphasizes the importance of the personal meanings students attribute to the English learning process, defending that intrinsic motivation and affectivity are fundamental elements for human development. Language teaching must be connected to the students’ reality, integrating their interests, cultural repertoires, and prior experiences. By valuing the teacher’s role as a mediator and promoter of meaningful environments, the study points toward the construction of more humanizing pedagogical practices. It concludes that the success of English teaching, through the lenses of CHT, depends on the articulation between learners’ subjective meanings and the social significances of the school and cultural context in which they are embedded.