As I read Norton and Toohey's article, I thought of the part where they say they use Vygotsky and Bakhtin as support for their research. I could understand how Vygotsky's ZPD fits into their study, but I was (and still am) a little unsure of how Bakhtin's ideas fit. Norton and Toohey explain Bakhtin's theory as language learners "try on" different voices, practicing their language abilities, until they are able to develop their own voices. How does this work with Julie and Eva's situations? I'm not entirely sure how this works with their language development. Are Norton and Toohey trying to apply this theory to explain how Julie and Eva adopted different social roles until they found a comfortable place in their environments?
I really like the stance they take here. That the environment needs to be taken into consideration when discussing SLA. (Though I feel this is a repetition of the nature vs. environment argument.) Having a supportive environment helps when learning a second language. We've discussed this issue in class as well - the idea of a risk-free, encouraging atmosphere where people can speak, make mistakes, and learn.
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