Vygotsky's and A.A. Leontiev's Semiotics and Psycholinguistics: Applications for Education, Second Language Acquisition, and Theories of Language

by Dorothy Robbins

Overview

This work introduces Russian theories of language from the Vygotskian perspective, with a chapter by famed scholar A. A. Leontiev about Vygostky and Russian psycholinguistics. The holistic nature of Russian psychology is highlighted, viewing the personality development of each individual as a whole. Vygostky's interdisciplinary approach to education, termed pedology, is examined, as is the Zone of Proximal Development and how it is understood in Russian education and theory. The theory of constructivism within education in the West is compared with the Vygotskian understanding of Zone of Proximal Development. Much of the focus is on teaching and teacher ability. This work also opens a discussion rarely analyzed in the West within theories of language: code, representation, image, imagination, imitation, and mimesis. Also, Vygotskian thought is compared with Chaos Theory/Complexity Theory on a philosophical level.

Foreign language teachers and those teaching English as a second language will find this volume valuable, as will scholars and students in applied linguistics, cognitive psychology, semiotics, and the psychology or philosophy of language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313322242
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/30/2003
Series:	International Contributions in Psychology , #44
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

DOROTHY ROBBINS is Professor of German at Central Missouri State University.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword
Introduction
Short Overview of Vygotsky's Cultural-Historical Method
Vygotsky's Theory Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Educational Perspectives
Learning and Development
Zone of Proximal Development
Constructivism (Constructionism) and Teacher Ability
Introduction to Russian Activity Theory (Related to Cultural-Historical Theory
Second Language Acquisition
Markedness Used as an Example to Understand the Problems in Relating Chomskyan Linguistics to SLA
Code, Representation, Images: Imagination, Imitation, and Mimesis
Concluding Summary