the development of thinking and speaking: the central concept in vygotsky’s theory of human...

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THINKING AND SPEAKING:

THE CENTRAL CONCEPT IN VYGOTSKY’S THEORY OF

HUMAN PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Peter Feigenbaum, Ph.D.

Fordham University

Bronx, New York, USA

[email protected]

II Forum – ISCAR Brazil

Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil

August 10-11, 2012

The Development of Thinking and Speaking:

The Central Concept in Vygotsky’s Theory of Human Psychological Development

Part 1: Introduction—Vygotsky’s theory of child development

Part 2: Vygotsky’s theory of thinking and speaking—the big ontogenetic picture

Part 3: Vygotsky’s theory of thinking and speaking—the granular, micro-genetic details

Part 4: Conclusion—Vygotsky’s theory of human psychological development is an unexplored world

The Uses of History in Psychology

Activity Theory

Internalization of Cultural Forms of Behavior as Psychological Processes

Development of Perception, Attention, and Memory

The Relation Between Tool and Symbol in Child Development

The Role of Play and Imagination in Development

Interaction Between Learning and Development (the ZPD)

Theory of Education

Study of Disabilities (Defectology)

Cross-Cultural Research

Thinking and Speaking

SOME OF VYGOTSKY'S PRINCIPAL THEORETICAL CONCEPTS

Vygotsky, L.S. (1934/1987, p. 250).

In R. W. Rieber & A. S. Carton (Eds.), (N. Minick, Trans.), The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky: Volume 1. Problems of general psychology. New York: Plenum Press. (Original published 1934)

"Though they form a unity, the inner, meaningful, semantic aspect of speech is associated with different laws of movement than its external, auditory aspect."

Vygotsky, L.S. (1934/1987, p. 250).

"First, we know that the development of the external aspect of speech in the child begins with the initial single word utterance and moves to the coupling of two or three words, then to the simple phrase and the coupling of phrases, and still later to the complex sentence and connected speech composed of a series of complex sentences. Thus, in mastering the external aspect of speech, the child moves from the part to the whole.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1934/1987, p. 250).

"First, we know that the development of the external aspect of speech in the child begins with the initial single word utterance and moves to the coupling of two or three words, then to the simple phrase and the coupling of phrases, and still later to the complex sentence and connected speech composed of a series of complex sentences. Thus, in mastering the external aspect of speech, the child moves from the part to the whole. In its meaning, however, we know that the child's first word is not a one word sentence but a whole phrase. Thus, in the development of the semantic aspect of speech, the child begins with the whole -- with the sentence -- and only later moves to the mastery of particular units of meaning, to the mastery of the meanings of separate words. The child begins with the whole and only subsequently partitions its fused thought which is expressed in the one word sentence into a series of separate though interconnected verbal meanings.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1934/1987, p. 250).

"First, we know that the development of the external aspect of speech in the child begins with the initial single word utterance and moves to the coupling of two or three words, then to the simple phrase and the coupling of phrases, and still later to the complex sentence and connected speech composed of a series of complex sentences. Thus, in mastering the external aspect of speech, the child moves from the part to the whole. In its meaning, however, we know that the child's first word is not a one word sentence but a whole phrase. Thus, in the development of the semantic aspect of speech, the child begins with the whole -- with the sentence -- and only later moves to the mastery of particular units of meaning, to the mastery of the meanings of separate words. The child begins with the whole and only subsequently partitions its fused thought which is expressed in the one word sentence into a series of separate though interconnected verbal meanings. Thus, the development of the semantic and external aspects of speech move in opposite directions. The semantic aspect of speech develops from the whole to the part or from the sentence to the word. The external aspect of speech moves from the part to the whole or from the word to the sentence."

EXTERNAL --- INTERNALVOCAL --- SEMANTICWORD --- MEANING

SPEAKING --- THINKING

PART PART

Word --- Concept

2-, 3-Word Combination --- Composite Relation

Complete Phrase --- Relational Expression

Simple Sentence --- Semantic Proposition

Complex Sentence --- Multiple Propositions

Monologue --- Narrative

WHOLE WHOLE

PART PART

Word --- Concept

WHOLE WHOLE

PART PART

Word --- Concept

WHOLE WHOLE

PART PART

Word --- Concept

WHOLE WHOLE

PART PART

Word --- Concept

WHOLE WHOLE

PART PART

Word --- Concept

WHOLE WHOLE

PART PART

Word --- Concept

WHOLE WHOLE

"THOUGHT & LANGUAGE"

"THINKING & SPEECH"

THINKING & SPEAKING

"THINKING & SPEECH"

(Grasping in consciousness) = THINKING & SPEAKING = (Pointing at objects and qualities)

"THINKING & SPEECH"

(Comprehending verbal meanings) = THINKING & SPEAKING = (Producing verbal meanings)

"THINKING & SPEECH"

SPEAKING & THINKING

"THINKING & SPEECH"

SPEAKING & THINKING

SPEAKING & LISTENING

Person A Person B

[SPEAKING & LISTENING]

INTERPERSONAL SPEECH: DIALOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Person A Person B Person B Person A

[SPEAKING & LISTENING] & [SPEAKING & LISTENING]

MotiveThought

Inner Speech SyntaxSocial Speech Syntax

Speech Utterance

Motive (Motive)Thought Thought

Inner Speech Syntax Inner Speech SyntaxSocial Speech Syntax Social Speech Syntax

Speech Utterance (Speech Utterance)

Motive (Motive)Thought Thought

Inner Speech Syntax Inner Speech SyntaxSocial Speech Syntax Social Speech Syntax

Speech Utterance (Speech Utterance)

Motive (Motive) Motive (Motive)Thought Thought Thought Thought

Inner Speech Syntax Inner Speech Syntax Inner Speech Syntax Inner Speech SyntaxSocial Speech Syntax Social Speech Syntax Social Speech Syntax Social Speech Syntax

Speech Utterance (Speech Utterance) Speech Utterance (Speech Utterance)

PSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICATE

PSYCHOLOGICAL SUBJECT

Assertives report facts, state rules, convey attitudes, etc. Regulatives control personal contact and conversational flow

ASID - Identifications label objects, events, people, etc. ODAG - Attention Getters solicit attention

ASDC - Descriptions predicate events, properties, etc., of objects or people ODSS - Speaker Selections label speaker of next turn

ASIR - Internal Reports express emotions, intents, and other mental events ODRQ - Rhetorical Questions seek acknowledgment to continue

ASEV - Evaluations express personal judgments or attitudes ODCQ - Clarification Questions seek clarification of prior remark

ASAT - Attributions reports beliefs about another's internal state ODBM - Boundary Markers indicate openings, closings, shifts in conversation

ASRU - Rules state procedures, definitions, "social rules," etc. ODPM - Politeness Markers indicate ostensible politeness

ASEX - Explanations state reasons, causes, justifications, and predictions

Requestives solicit information or actions Responsives supply solicited information or acknowledge remarks

RQCH - Choice Questions seek either-or judgments relative to propositions RSCH - Choice Answers provide solicited judgments of propositions

RQPR - Product Questions seek info. relative to "WH" interrogative pronouns RSPR - Product Answers provide Wh-information

RQPC - Process Questions seek extended descriptions or explanations RSPC - Process Answers provide solicited explanations, etc.

RQAC - Action Requests seek the performance of an action by hearer RSCO - Compliances express acceptance, denial, acknowledgment of requests

RQPM - Permission Requests seek permission to perform an action RSCL - Clarification Responses provide solicited confirmations

RQSU - Suggestions recommend the performance of an action RSQL - Qualifications provide unsolicited information to a request

RSAG - Agreements agree or disagree with prior nonrequestive actExpressives nonpropositionally convey attitudes or repeat others RSAK - Acknowledgments recognize prior nonrequestives

EXCL - Exclamations express surprise, delight or other attitudes

EXAC - Accompaniments maintain contact by using contextually redundant info Performatives accomplish acts (and establish facts) by being said

EXRP - Repetitions repeat prior utterances PFCL - Claims establish rights for speaker

PFJO - Jokes cause humorous effect by stating incongruous infoMiscellaneous codes PFTE - Teases annoy, taunt or playfully provoke a hearer

UNTP - Uninterpretables for uncodable utterances PFPR - Protests express objections to hearer's behavior

NVRS - Nonverbal Responses for silent compliances and other gestures PFWA - Warnings alert hearer of impending harm

Codes, Definitions, and Examples of Conversational Acts (from Dore, 1979)