Piaget’s theory: language depends on thought

Language depends on thought

The understanding of a concept comes first (a schema), and then we learn how to express our understanding of it - through words we use.

Young children

If a child learns a word before they have an understanding (schema) fo that word, they can still use it in a parrot-like fashion.

Language can exist without thought but only can be used properly when it is understood.

The development of language

Children only begin to speak towards the end of their first year, in the sensorimotor phase. Before the age of one they are developing schemas as they learn to co-ordinate sensory and motor information.

In the second pre-operational stage, childens’ language development makes rapid progress. They start to talk about things they can’t see or are physically present, yet they still can’t see through someone else’s perspective (egocentrism.)

Logical thinking

By the concrete operational stage, children’s language use becomes much more mature and logical. As they begin to decentre, they can consider and talk about the views of others. They also begin to question, criticise and come up with new ideas of their own.

WEAKNESS 1

Sapir-wharf theory opposes this, which claims that language comes before thought and that if someone is raised in a culture where there is no word or phrase for something, then that person is not able to think about it.

WEAKNESS 2

Schemas cannot be scientifically measured and it is difficult to accurately know what a baby is thinking. Piaget’s theory is not based on solid, scientific evidence.