Vygotsky And Jean Piaget s Theories On Language Acquisition

When comparing the works of Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget, the simplest analogy would be nurture versus nature. According to the Lecture of Theories on Language Acquisition (2014), Piaget was a psychologist and philosopher from Switzerland who is very well known in the education field, especially for his Theory of Cognitive Development. He believes that as a child transitions through the stages of development, learning is internally directed due to a child’s natural inquisitiveness. A child is born with and continues to develop schemas, or the mental representation of prior knowledge. As the child explores his environment, plays with peers or adults, and interacts with his world, he forms new ideas while reforming old ideas in his mind. In an opposing view, behaviorists believe that a child’s learning is dependent on external influences such as language, social interaction, and the larger society. Family members, teachers, and other adults play a key role in nurtur ing the child through his zone of proximal growth through scaffolding. Vygotsky, a Soviet psychologist, developed this theory, and is also considered a major contributor to educational methodologies. He places a smaller emphasis on the stages of behavior, and instead focuses on the idea that language and cognitive abilities emerge at the same time (Hernandez, 2014). In this paper, the works of both psychologists will be discussed based on research from a number of references. The works of each psychologistShow MoreRelatedPiaget And Vygotsky Theory Of Cognitive Development Essay826 Words   |  4 Pagesdescribe the concept of cognitive development and, highlight both Piaget and Vygotsky’s theory as it relates to cognitive development, and the significant differences between them. 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