These three physiologists and linguists argued about theory of language and intelligence development in children. Vigotsky is sure that language built and established intelligence development in children. There are some phases how language influences children mind. Piaget does not agree to the Vigotsky’s opinion that language determined intelligence development in children. Piaget ‘s theory is that intelligence decides language development in children. Brunner’s opinion is between Piaget and Vigotsky’s theory. He believes that language and intelligence supported one and another. Intelligence development cannot be separated from language stimulation and vice versa.
He is a psychologist, a linguist and a philosopher. He is Lev Semenovich Vigotsky. He was born in 1896. He died because of Tuber coleuses at the age 38 years old. Piaget and Vigotsky lived in the same era but Vigotsky argued Piaget ‘s theory. Their opinions about language and intelligence are different. Generally, Vigotsky is sure that language determined intelligence development in children. Piaget believes that intelligence determined language development in children. These are three theories of those three linguists.
In the early language and intelligence development in children, Vigotsky divides language development into two categories. They are inner speech and external speech. External speech is language models that children hear from adults. Children imitate and response the conversation of adults. The adult’s conversation becomes models in children mind and it turns into inner speech. This inner speech is the seed of intelligence development in children.
Vigotsky divides children intelligence development into phases. All phases refer to conceptual thinking. These are the phases.
- Heaps or Random thinking
This phase is similar to Sensory motor of Piaget’s theory. Children describe objects in heaps. They have not been able to differentiate correlation between one object to others. They like to do trial and error in the intelligence experience.
- Complex thinking
Children have capability to clarify objects based on characteristics. Adult’s conversation has strong influence in this phase because children will get many vocabularies from having conversation with adults. Language develops rapidly and becomes the determination to intelligence development. This phase is the same as pre-operational stage of Piaget’s theory.
- Conceptual thinking
Children think systematically. They have employed their logical thinking. They can imagine abstract objects. The ability to count numbers and understanding concepts takes place at this phase. This is like concrete operational and formal operational stage of Piaget’s theory.
Those are three main phases of intelligence development of Vigotsky’s view. Language is very important aspect that influences intelligence development. Vigotsky believes that language was one of major factors that establish intelligence development in children.
His name is Jean Piaget. He was born on August 9, 1896 in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He is known as psychologist. His focus on children intelligence development has influenced researchers after him. His opinion about intelligence development is divided into some stages. Environment also has responsibilities to form each stage. Piaget splits the stages into four major stages. They are ..
- Sensory motor stage
It starts from 0 to 18/24 months old. Logical thinking has not developed yet. Children‘s intelligence works on motor movement. There are three main developments at this stage. The first is children perception of existence of objects. The second is beginning to understand cause and effect and the last is language development. Those three developments develop fast at the end of the stage.
- Pre- operational stage
It ranges from 18/24 to 6/7 years old. Children can imagine or think. They use symbols to describe their thought. They use some symbols. They are mimes, pictures, mental pictures, and words or language. Language develops fast at this stage. It helps children to use their mind to think logically. It also makes children remind past events. Children start using abstract and logical thinking at this stage.
- Concrete operational stage
It is from 6/7 to 11/12 years old. Logical and abstract thinking have grown. Children can classify, clarify, count numbers. They can also use measurement like weight, volume, length, and others. Children can explain more than one characteristic of an object.
- Formal operational stage
It is from 12 to 15 years old. Children have used their logical thinking and abstract thought perfectly. They also can hypothesize objects. They can use data to take conclusion of cause and effect. They have employed language well.
Jerome S Bruner is a psychologist from USA. He was one of presidents of America Psychologists association. He is between Piaget and Vigotsky. He views that language and intelligence had correlation. He explains that intelligence development was categorized into modes.
- Enactive mode
Children intelligence works on movements at this phase. They always pay more attention to moving objects. They do many body movements to recognize outside world. It is the same as sensory motor theory of Piaget.
- Icon mode
Children’s mind forms icons to objects they see. If children see a cat, they will analyze, comprehend the shape of the cat and create icons of cat in their mind. This is the time when children start using their logical thinking. Children can distinguish objects and the relation among the objects.
- Symbolic mode
Children use symbols to express their mind. Language is one of the symbols. It helps children think of abstract concepts. Children do not have to know the presence of objects to think of something.
Not all modes are gone with the growth of children but they develop. Children experiences improve their intelligence. The older children are the better their intelligence develops. Brunner believes that language was a dominant factor of intelligence development in children but the influence is not as strong as Vigotsky’s theory.
Children have to obtain much experience from environment. Experience is not language acquisition but it will be intelligence stimulation. The more experience children obtain the better language will develop. This opinion shows that experience helps children get more information and vocabularies for instance; children can tell a story about beach better if they have been to a beach before. They have enough data and information to describe a beach because they have experience doing some activities at the beach. From this, Brunner believes that intelligence and language supported one and another to develop.
Bibliography
Fauzi Ahmad, 2003. Children Language Development, The Faculty of Letters and Culture, “Yogyakarta “ University of Technology.
DSAK, Soetjiningsih,1955. Tumbuh Kembang Anak, Bali, Universtas Udayana.
Tampubolon, 1933. Mengembangkan Minat dan Kebiasaan Membaca pada Anak, Bandung, Angkasa
LG Alexander, Practice and Progress, Longman
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