Piaget and the Role of Language When analyzing the theories with major emphasis on cognitive and language

development, it is vital to evaluate the work of Jean Piaget regarding the role of language in knowledge construction. For Piaget language is essential for logical and abstract thought but not essential for thought in action (Bergen, 2008, pp. 95 & 96). In other words, language is the premise that establishes the scope of constructivist processes in the sequence of competency acquisition and how these processes change as a function of development (Schunk, 2012). One category of consideration when analyzing the different ways children learn a language is that of Psychomotor, which refers to the development of speech patterns or abilities to make certain sounds. This is a factor of physical development that deals with the ability to control muscular movement to produce certain words/sounds of a language, especially during the acquisition of a first language. Schunk (2012) asserts that mental structures are created from earlier structures, not directly from environmental information; therefore, knowledge is not a mirror of the external world acquired through experiences []. Knowledge develops through the cognitive activity of abstraction and follows a generally predictable sequence (Schunk, 2012, p. 232). For Piaget, knowledge development is a progressive construction of logical structures, each of which leads to higher and more powerful structures (Bergen, 2008). First, childrens interactions with the environment allow them to perceive and internalize new information. Once this information is internalized, children try to find the true meaning behind it either by assimilation or accommodation. Once this information is assimilated, children discover a balance between the structures of the mind and environmental experiences which motivates them to face new experiences as a means of gaining more knowledge (Bergen, 2008, p. 101).

Much of these new experiences could involve exposing a child to learning a new language. In acquiring a second language, there are circumstances when the learner does not have the same development of psychomotor skills equal to those of his or her own language. Therefore, much effort is needed to overcome this deficiency, if indeed it can be. One example of this would be a Chinese or Japanese person trying to learn English as a second language. Usually, Asians have difficulties with the sound of the English r. Most of these individuals pronounce the r as an l. If this discrepancy cannot be overcome, it usually results in avoidance of this situation by the speaker. Studies in this area give support to the critical period that span from about two years through the age of seven, when learners are able to learn best a second language and with a native speaker accent due to the plasticity of the brain and lateralization not being completed. This critical period was labeled by Piaget as the preoperational stage of knowledge structure, in which children are more likely to accept what they see and hear rather than using logical thought (Bergen, 2008). Children in this stage are unable to think in more than one dimension at a time; thus, if they focus on length, they are apt to think a longer object (a yardstick) is bigger than a shorter one (a brick) even though the shorter one is wider and deeper (Schunk, 2012, p. 237). Additionally, the preoperational stage is one of rapid language development. For example, if Chinese or Japanese children are exposed to a second language (English) between the ages of 2 and 7 years, they will sound like a native-speaker and deficiencies in their pronunciation can be avoided. From Schunks perspective, this learning process occurs, then, when children experience cognitive conflict and engage in assimilation or accommodation to control or alter internal structures (Chinese language versus English language) (Schunk, p. 238, 2012).

Therefore, children make sense of their own environments and construct reality based on their capabilities at the present time (Schunk, 2012). Bergen (2008), in her work titled Human Development, states that Piaget thought that language was an essential component of logical thought, and that it had a nature and nurture component. For Piaget, language development was an essential ingredient in the development of mental operations. Being constantly confronted with new information, the actively engaged child will expand his/her knowledge about the world through new discoveries, which will lead to new structures of knowledge that can stimulate new insights (Hakvoort, 2002). This statement is compatible with Schunks views as he asserts that the social environment is nonetheless a key source for cognitive development (p. 240).

Reference: Bergen, Doris. Human Development: Traditional and Contemporary Theories. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008. Print. Hakvoort, I. (2002). Theories of Learning and Development: Implications for Peace Education. Social Alternatives, 21(1), 18. Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Miguel Llovera Da Corte