Communication (Piaget and Vygotsky)

Language

Refers to the symbols that others understand and use for communication

Piagets theory

Thought comes before language

Sensimotor stage (language development)

Representational thinking

Schemas

Pre-operational stage

Symbolic play

Monologues

Vygotsky theory

Suggests that thought and language are initially separate systems and then merge

Representational thinking (Piagets theory)

Thinking processing about objects in the world which comes before naming the objects

Strengths of Piagets theory

practical application for teachers

Symbolic play proves that thought comes before language

Weaknesses of Piagets theory

Doesn’t include individual differences

Ignored effect of parents

External language 0-3 (Pre-intellectual)

A child tries to engage and copy others

Egocentric speech 3-7 (pre-linguistic)

Words are spoken out loud to help with thinking

Inner speech 7+

Thinking is done internally. Language and thought come together

Pre intellectual language

Speech that comes from copying others and no thought goes into it

Pre linguistic thought

Thinking without using words (simple problem solving)

Strengths of Vygotsky’s theory

Accounted for culture

Accounted for importance of private speech

Weaknesses of Vygotsky theory

Over-estimated the importance of culture

Theory could not be tested