He believed, “Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological).” (Vygotsky, 1978).
His two main principles of work consisted of the More knowlegeable other (MKO) & Zone of proximal development.
MKO is someone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept. Although the implication is that the MKO is a teacher or an older adult, this is not necessarily the case. A child's peers or an adult's children may be the individuals with more knowledge or experience. (For example, who is more likely to know more about the lastest songs, pop groups, or how to correctly perform the newest dance craze - a child or their parents?), it could even be computers !
ZPD is is the distance between a student’s ability to perform a task under adult guidance and/or with peer collaboration and the student’s ability solving the problem independently. According to Vygotsky, learning occurred in this zone.
Vygotsky's main focus was on the connections between people and the sociocultural context in which they act and interact in shared experiences. According to him, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social environments. Initially children develop these tools to serve solely as social functions, ways to communicate needs.
According to Vygotsky (1962) language plays 2 critical roles in cognitive development:
1: It is the main means by which adults transmit info to children.
2: Language itself becomes a very powerful tool of intellectual adaptation.
2: Language itself becomes a very powerful tool of intellectual adaptation.
Vygotsky sees "private speech" as a means for children to plan activities and strategies and therefore aid their development. Language is therefore an accelerator to thinking/understanding (Bruner also views language in this way).
Vygotsky believed that language develops from social interactions, for communication purposes. Later language ability becomes internalised as thought and “inner speech”. Thought is the result of language.
Hope it makes sense to you all ... xxx
