Repressing Lacan: Relating a Psychology of Meaning to the Discourse of Second Language Education

Abstract

Grounded in socioculturalist theory, this article further defines the individual psychological responses of students in formal, second language education settings according to Jacque Lacan's theory of language. By placing Lacan's concepts of repression, the signifier, and the signified within outline of the practice of education we are able to approach language learning from a psychological perspective and not just from a purely linguistic stance. While analyzing the theoretical constructs of goal-directed action and the activity setting, this paper supports and builds on the role of language as a tool in the construction of activity and consciousness during negotiation of meaning in light of Lacan's contribution to the understanding of discourse in second language education. Finally, the present work clarifies and applies the Sausseurian constructs of the signifier and the signified as interpreted by Lacan to second language education theory.