EML106
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Anthropology
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Jan 9, 2024
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Assessment item 2Early Language Development: A Sociocultural View
ASSESSMENT ITEM 2EARLY
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: A
SOCIOCULTURAL VIEW
EML106
Introduction
Sociocultural theory provides valuable insights into understanding oral language acquisition
in children. Oral language acquisition refers to the process where individuals develop their
ability to use spoken language for communication. The sociocultural view asserts that
learning is a result of social interactions, and occurs within specific cultural environments
(Nolan, 2015, p. 29). At the core of sociocultural theory is Lee Vygotsky who examined how
our social interactions influence our cognitive growth, and founded the zone of proximal
development (ZPD), which ‘highlights the potential for learning when a child interacts with a
more knowledgeable other’ (Nolan, 2015, p. 31). Other key sociocultural theorists include
Jerome Bruner who studied how children learn and adopted the term scaffolding, and Barbara
Rogoff who emphasizes the role of adults in the learning process (Nolan, 2015). Children’s
language development is enriched through everyday conversations, where they learn various
functions of language. Oral language acquisition in everyday contexts focuses on the
authentic interactions children have. Whether it is sitting at the family dining table, or
meeting a new friend at the playground, there is a purpose to use language (Thompson, 2022,
podcast 1.3).
It is important to remember that children’s everyday contexts will differ
depending on their social and cultural context. It is equally critical to recognise these
differences to build on them. Sociocultural theory underscores the role of social interactions,
cultural practises, and collaborative learning in shaping oral language acquisition in everyday
contexts.
Literature Review
1
The article “Conversations about Visual Arts: Facilitating Oral Language” (Chang & Cress,
2013) demonstrates that conversations between adults and children surrounding visual arts
can be valuable for children’s language development. The article highlights the importance of
linguistic scaffolding strategies, such as questioning, expansion, and repetition, used by the
More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) to support and enhance children’s language abilities.
Young children often use visual arts to communicate (Chang & Cress, 2013, p. 415).
Therefore, visual arts can be utilised to uncover information about children by discussing
their creations. Implementing linguistic scaffolding strategies into these conversations
inspires children to explore their thoughts further and encourages their participation in
conversations at a higher level than they could achieve on their own, otherwise referred to as
the highest level regarding the ZPD (Nolan, 2015, p. 31).
Loris Malaguzzi’s Reggio Emilia
philosophy places a strong emphasis on respecting children as capable and competent
learners and the importance of valuing children’s perspectives and expressions (Nolan, 2015,
p. 38). Adults are encouraged to attend to the child’s expressions verbally and facially,
showing respect for the child’s artwork and ideas. This philosophy encourages children to
explore and express themselves through various mediums and highlights how conversations
about children’s artwork provide opportunities for children to think imaginatively and
abstractly, thereby enhancing their language skills.
The relationship between language development and social development is explored in the
article “Oracy: social facets of language learning” (Saracho & Spodek, 2007). The article
makes it clear that social settings and cultural contexts play a major role in children’s
language acquisition. As children observe their surroundings using all their senses, they
should be encouraged to generate and express ideas through a variety of language activities.
These activities structuring language programs need to include both receptive and expressive
2
elements (Saracho & Spodek, 2007, p. 703). The nativist perspective is indirectly referenced
throughout the article. Noam Chomsky is associated with the Nativist perspective and
theorised that all children are born with the ability to understand language and that the brain
is hardwired to do so. He referred to this language organ as a Language Acquisition Device
(LAD) (Fellowes & Oakley, 2019, p. 74). The theory argues that the child will develop
knowledge of their language, and the rules used to generate sentences based on the nature of
the speech they are exposed to, highlighted in the text as “children will differ in the language
they create based on the nature of the speech they hear” (Saracho & Spodek, 2007, p. 696).
The social interactionist theory emphasises the role of social interactions between children,
and the significant individuals in their lives as language exists for communication and can
only be learned via social interaction (Fellowes & Oakley, 2019, p. 76). The language
behavior of adults when conversing with children is fundamental to children’s learning. The
article refers to the “talk around the edges” approach to conversation where continuous
conversation is utilized rather than the formal question-and-answer approach (Saracho &
Spodek, 2007, p. 702). As children use language to express, convey, and manage emotions
and knowledge there is a strong link that their language is connected to their individual social
and cultural contexts.
The article “Teacher-Child Interactions that Target Vocabulary Development in Two
Preschool Classrooms: A Conversation Analytic Approach” (Mihai, 2021) explores the core
practises for vocabulary learning through classroom talk and repeated book reading.
Classroom conversations offer numerous learning opportunities to engage participants in
meaningful learning contexts. This teacher involvement allows children to contribute to and
explore topics collaboratively, thereby aligning with Vygotsky’s theory of the ZPD and
highlighting the importance of Rogoff’s theory of guided participation (Fellowes & Oakley,
3
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