EML106

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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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