Saturday, December 23, 2006

Vygotsky's notion (1)

The Vygotskian view is unique in that thainking is not bound by the individual brain or mind. Instead, the "mind extends beyond the skin" (Wertsch 1991a, 90) and is inseperably joined with other minds. According to Vygotsky's ([1930-1935] 1978) sociocultural theory, cognition is a profoundly social phenomenon. Social experience shapes the way of thinking and interpreting the world available to individuals. And language plays a crucial role in a socially formed mind because it is our primary avenue of communication and mental contact with others, serves as the major means by which social experience is represented psychologically, and is an indispensable tool for thought (Vygotsky [1934] 1987; Leot'ev 1959). Becuase Vygotsky regarded language as a critical bridge between the sociocultural world and individual mental functioning, he viewed the acquisiton of language as the most significant milestone in children's cognitive development.

No comments: