Reading and Reading and concept formationconcept formation

By: Ingrid SilvaBy: Ingrid Silva

Reading and concept Reading and concept formationformation

An object, like a word, evokes something An object, like a word, evokes something in our mind. But while what is evoked in in our mind. But while what is evoked in our mind by an object is completely our mind by an object is completely arbitrary and subjective. arbitrary and subjective.

Words have a meaning, at least in part, Words have a meaning, at least in part, that is codified and valid for a limited that is codified and valid for a limited number of people.number of people.

Vygotsky Vygotsky

He studied concept formation in man and its He studied concept formation in man and its relation to the learning of words. In Vygotsky's relation to the learning of words. In Vygotsky's opinion, the role played by words is opinion, the role played by words is fundamental: first we learn the relation between fundamental: first we learn the relation between an object, a situation or a single action and a an object, a situation or a single action and a word. Up to this point we haven't learned a word. Up to this point we haven't learned a concept, just a relation between a concept, just a relation between a circumscribed situation and a circumscribed circumscribed situation and a circumscribed sound/graphic sign. sound/graphic sign.

Vygotsky’s experiment:Vygotsky’s experiment:

subjects are presented with elements of subjects are presented with elements of different shapes, sizes and colors, the so-different shapes, sizes and colors, the so-called "experimental blocks", behind which called "experimental blocks", behind which some meaningless strings of characters are some meaningless strings of characters are traced. The task consists of establishing traced. The task consists of establishing conceptual links between shapes, sizes, conceptual links between shapes, sizes, colors and "new words". The formation of the colors and "new words". The formation of the concept is followed by its transfer to other concept is followed by its transfer to other objects.objects.

Vygotsky's conclusionsVygotsky's conclusions

The subject is induced to use the new The subject is induced to use the new terms in talking about objects other than terms in talking about objects other than the experimental blocks, and to define the experimental blocks, and to define their meaning in a generalized fashion.their meaning in a generalized fashion.

Generalization Generalization

occurs by way of a sort of perception -> word -occurs by way of a sort of perception -> word -> perception -> word -> perception and so on > perception -> word -> perception and so on through which new perceptions induce the through which new perceptions induce the formulation of new words to describe them, formulation of new words to describe them, which induces the systematization of which induces the systematization of perception so that it will be possible, given a perception so that it will be possible, given a finite number of words, to express infinite finite number of words, to express infinite perceptions, since two identical perceptions do perceptions, since two identical perceptions do not exist. Word becomes a means for the not exist. Word becomes a means for the formation of concepts.formation of concepts.

    As far as concept formation is As far as concept formation is concerned, a reiteration of the distinction concerned, a reiteration of the distinction made in the first part of the course about made in the first part of the course about linguistic awarenesslinguistic awareness is in order. To be is in order. To be able to elaborate a concept, it is able to elaborate a concept, it is necessary for an individual to be necessary for an individual to be consciously aware of the knowledge she consciously aware of the knowledge she has gained. has gained.

Spontaneous and conscious Spontaneous and conscious concepts.concepts.

    The difference between the learning of The difference between the learning of spontaneous concepts, like "apple" for spontaneous concepts, like "apple" for example, and the learning of "scientific" example, and the learning of "scientific" concepts, like "exploitation", for example, concepts, like "exploitation", for example, lies in the fact that:lies in the fact that:

““The development of the child's The development of the child's spontaneous concepts proceed upward, spontaneous concepts proceed upward, and the development of his scientific and the development of his scientific concepts downward [...]. The inception of concepts downward [...]. The inception of a spontaneous concept can usually be a spontaneous concept can usually be traced to a face-to-face meeting with a traced to a face-to-face meeting with a concrete situation, while a scientific concrete situation, while a scientific concept involves from the first a concept involves from the first a "mediated" attitude toward its object”. "mediated" attitude toward its object”.

According to VygotskyAccording to Vygotsky

The influence of scientific concepts on the The influence of scientific concepts on the mental development of the child is analogous mental development of the child is analogous to the effect of learning a foreign language, a to the effect of learning a foreign language, a process which is conscious and deliberate from process which is conscious and deliberate from the start. In one's native language, the primitive the start. In one's native language, the primitive aspects of speech are acquired before the aspects of speech are acquired before the more complex ones. The latter presuppose more complex ones. The latter presuppose some awareness of phonetic, grammatical, and some awareness of phonetic, grammatical, and syntactic forms. With a foreign language, the syntactic forms. With a foreign language, the higher forms develop before spontaneous, higher forms develop before spontaneous, fluent speech fluent speech

In terms of reading, this means that an In terms of reading, this means that an individual can face texts with concrete individual can face texts with concrete concepts until a given age, which is concepts until a given age, which is approximately placed in the approximately placed in the preadolescent period. Then he acquires preadolescent period. Then he acquires the awareness of this knowledge, and the awareness of this knowledge, and learns texts that even contain abstract learns texts that even contain abstract meanings. As intellectual development meanings. As intellectual development goes on, abstraction capabilities become goes on, abstraction capabilities become finer and finer. And meanings, both finer and finer. And meanings, both abstract and concrete, evolve. abstract and concrete, evolve.

Reading and concept Reading and concept evolutionevolution

Thoughts, words, and meanings are Thoughts, words, and meanings are tightly interwoven, and it is probably more tightly interwoven, and it is probably more interesting to study them as a single interesting to study them as a single system rather than try to isolate system rather than try to isolate components and maniacally demark their components and maniacally demark their limitations.limitations.

  The meanings of words are dynamic The meanings of words are dynamic formations changing with the individual's formations changing with the individual's development and with the various ways in development and with the various ways in which his thought functions. The relation which his thought functions. The relation between thought and word is not a thing between thought and word is not a thing but a process during which changes can but a process during which changes can be considered "as development in the be considered "as development in the functional sense”.functional sense”.

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