Vygotsky, Wittgenstein, and sociocultural theory

Bibliographic Data

ID8975439
AuthorsStephen Newman (0000-0002-2674-9154, Carnegie School of Education Leeds Beckett University Leeds England, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume48
Issue3
Pages350-368
Publication date2018-06-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal for the Theory of Social Behaviour (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-8308 • E-ISSN: 1468-5914
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jtsb.12174
OpenAlexW2802499514
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited36

This paper considers the use made of Vygotsky's work by many who take a sociocultural perspective and, in particular, by those who use his work to advance a particular view of second language acquisition and the ‘silent period’. It is argued that Vygotsky's account as represented in Thought and Language (Vygotsky, ) needs to be thought of as consisting of two distinct aspects: first, the observations he made (or claimed to have made) and, second, the theoretical account he proposed to explain them. It is shown that some of Vygotsky's observations are problematic but that, even if they are accepted, Vygotsky's theoretical account suffers from fundamental difficulties. Thus the support claimed from Vygotsky in accounts of second language acquisition is misplaced, first because of those difficulties and, second, because many who claim support from Vygotsky, do not need or even use his theory but instead focus their attention on his empirical observations and assume incorrectly that if their own empirical observations match Vygotsky's, then Vygotsky's theory can be accepted. Wittgenstein's later philosophy is shown to provide a perspective which dispels confusions about, and gives us a clearer insight into, the issues

Cognitive science · Developmental psychology · Empirical research · Epistemology · Focus (optics · Perspective (graphical · Sociocultural evolution · Sociology · Zone of proximal development · Computer Science · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Philosophy · Psychology

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