Cognitivism
English Language: AQA A Level, topic 2.2.6
Cognitivism
Cognitive theory essentially states that children need a cognitive understanding in order to use language. This essentially states that children cannot linguistically articulate what they do not understand.
Theory in practice - verb learning
- If you think about when children acquire different verbs and their inflections, the easiest are learned first – the higher complexity, the longer it takes to learn.
- For example, the notion of irregularity of verbs is quite a complex idea, so they are acquired later on in development.
Piaget
- Within Piaget’s theory, he states that children start life in a very egocentric way. In other words, they feel that the world revolves around them.
- This is supported by the notion of object permanence, which essentially means that when a child cannot see something, to them, it does not exist (they do not grasp the concept of object permanence).
- This is often seen when a child starts crying when a primary caregiver moves out of sight.
Vygotsky
- Another key cognitive theorist is Vygotsky.
- Vygotsky’s theory proposes that there exists a cognitive deficiency – a gap in knowledge. He calls this gap the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and he states that a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) is needed to fill the gap.
- Vygotsky’s work inspired Bruner to form his LASS.
Challenges to cognitivism
- Children who have learning difficulties and cognitive issues still learn to use language even expressing concepts beyond their understanding
- Apes share a similar cognitive development as humans in the first years of life, but do not acquire language.
Exam technique
- In the exam, you should look for:
- Children trying to make sense of something on their own.
- Children not using certain language to express a concept which is complex/they are unlikely to understand
Test yourself on Cognitivism
What do ZPD stand for in Vygotsky’s theory?
Which two things should you look for in the exam?