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

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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.

Reviews

"The book presents an insightful discussion of the Vygotskian cultural-historical perspective, its psychological and philosophical origins, and their implications for theories of education and language acquisition....[u]seful and informative."-Modern Language Journal
The book presents an insightful discussion of the Vygotskian cultural-historical perspective, its psychological and philosophical origins, and their implications for theories of education and language acquisition....[u]seful and informative.-Modern Language Journal

Author Bio

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