Psychology and sociology/9. Development psychology

Chernov D.N.

The Russian State University for the Humanities, Russia

The problem of sociocultural conditionality of child language development

In a modern domestic and foreign psychology four approaches to studying of a problem of occurrence and development of child language are allocated. These are psycholinguistic, psychogenetic, socially focused and communicative approaches. Despite conceptual differences, these approaches co-operate with each other; results do not contradict, and mutually supplement each other. But in these approaches there are some basic methodological problems of studying of sociocultural conditionality of child language development in ontogenesis.

In a psycholinguistic approach three problems are solved: 1) child language perception and pronouncing; 2) language understanding by the child and sense expression in the language; 3) child language creativity (Tomasello, Bates, 2003). The considerable attention is given to the born bases of occurrence and development of the child language (Bel'tyukov, 1984; Kuhl, 1997; Ushakova, 1998, 1999, 2003; Batuev, Galunov & Lyakso, 2003). Subject preconditions of formation of child language – intentionality as a basis of occurrence of the first children's vocalizations, further – development of the socialized language and language mastering are studied (Ushakova, 1999, 2002, 2003; Ushakova, Barteneva, 2002). The social context as the important condition of occurrence of child language is meant, however there is not enough the researches specially devoted to studying sociocultural conditions of occurrence and development of child language.

In a psychogenetic approach the contribution of genetic and environmental factors in formation of individual distinctions in language characteristics is estimated. Wide-ranging researches are realized in MacArthur (Pipp-Siegel et. al., 1996; Reznick, 1996), Louisville (Robinson et. al., 2000), Quebec (Dionne et. al., 2000), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ganger et. al., 1998) Twin Studies, Twin Early Development Study (Dale et. al., 2000; Price et. al., 2000; Dionne et. al., 2003). In Russia I.V. Ravich-Scherbo and D.N. Chernov (2005) realized unique psychogenetic study of language. It is shown, that up to young school age individual distinctions in language are defined basically by shared environmental factors and moderate influences of heredity. The major determinant of development of language abilities are features of child-parent relations. (Chernov, 2009). The methodology of the psychogenetic approach allows ascertaining the importance of shared environmental factors for formation of individual features of child language, but – not showing the psychological maintenance of these factors.

Socially focused approach appreciates importance of studying of various social contexts for child language development. Studies are realized on infants – young school children. There are investigated the role in occurrence of individual distinctions in language abilities of such factors as: socioeconomic and education status of parents (Raz, Bryant, 1990; Hoff-Ginsberg, 1991, 1998; Roberts et. al., 1999; Cambell et. al., 2003; Hoff, 2003; Pan et. al., 2005; Huttenlocher et. al., 2010); mother's age (Keown, Woodward & Field, 2001; Oxford, Spieker, 2006) and gestational age (Van Beek, Samson, 1994; Reissland, Shepherd & Stephenson, 1999), which cause features of child-parent communication; family structure: having many children and a birth number of the child (Hoff-Ginsberg, 1998), twins' effect (Tomasello, Mannle & Kruger, 1986; Butler, McMahon & Ungerer, 2003; Thorpe, Rutter & Greenwood, 2003); quality and quantity of additional child-care from experts in early child development (Sylva et. al., 2011). Studying of efficiency of training programs for language development in children from families from seriously disadvantaged backgrounds is connected with this approach (O'Connor et. al., 2009; Vallotton et. al., 2011). The positive role is marked: interactions of teachers and experts in language development of the child with parents for improvement of quality of child language; special training of parents for the purpose of creation by them developmental language environment (Hart, Risley, 1995; Schmitt, Simpson & Friend, 2011). Few studies are realized in Russia. In them conditionality of features of child language from social factors was considered: having many children and a birth number of the child (Trefilova, 1998), twins' effect (Chernov, 2003, 2009), socioeconomic status of family (Chernov, 2011) on large samples, or, – from set of many factors on small samples (Belogaj, Sonina, 2008). In the latter case the investigated factors are chosen irregularly, on the basis of correlations with language development available in the science literature. Connection of child language with verbal intelligence, educational level, mother employment status, sex and birth number of the child, language disorders in relatives was investigated. The set of studies within the frame of socially focused approach unites assumption, that sociocultural conditions directly predetermine qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the child language. Role of a subject activity of the child and the parent in compensation negative and strengthening of positive influences of sociocultural factors on feature of child language is ignored. So, the methodological basis of this approach is representation about direct social determination of child language development.

In a communicative approach features of child-parent communication and these influences on child language are investigated. Studies are realized, basically, on infants. Qualitative and quantitative features of interaction which are predictors of high level of early child language are investigated (Hart, Risley, 1995). Difficulties which parents face at creation of the developing communicative environment are discussed (Durkin et. al., 1986). The role of various styles of educational and pedagogical influences of parents as couple and, separately, – as mother and father on child language development is studied (Pecheux, Labrell & Pistorio, 1993; Marcos, 1995; Moreno Manso et. al., 2010; Pancsofar et. al., 2010). The influence of older siblings on the language environment of young children is discussed (Woollett, 1986). It is shown, that features of infant temperament are mediate parent behavior and their language activity during child-parent interaction (Dixon Jr., Smith, 2003). Attempts of construction of mathematical models of child-parent communication as non-linear dynamic system are undertaken. It is shown, that the effects of stressor intensity on change of communication peculiarities are swept a little up. Small alterations in irritability and responsiveness lead to strong effects on the nature of the interaction (Olthof, Kunnen & Boom, 2000). Despite the found out importance of parent educational styles for child language development, domestic studies (Chernov, 2009, 2010, 2011) show, that in the various age periods the same educational style can cause different language features of a child. Further, at young school age directive educational parent style can lead to positive results in mastering by rules of Russian. At last, successful mastering by language rules and language creativity at the same age is caused by different educational parent styles. These facts specify that educational style is only the form of expression of intrinsic processes of formation of a child-adult generality. It depends on the purposes of language education which meaningful adults are put before the child. Representations about that for child language development values and belief of meaningful people about the purposes and sense of education of children can be important, express (Gonzalez, 2001), but yet are not an object of experimental studies. Only in one domestic study the sociocultural conditionality of language development in preschool children has been investigated taking into account studying of complete parent individuality and their acmeological status. Proceeding from this status, features of interaction of the parent and the child within a family and with a world are investigated (Bazylevich, Kolyadina, 2007). Ambiguous results of pedagogical interventions on process of language mastering in early age (O'Connor et. al., 2009; Sylva et. al., 2011; Vallotton et. al., 2011) specify in necessity of search of intrinsic conditions for the organization of a child-teacher generality for the purpose of improvement of quality of pedagogical interventions, and also – in vital role of positive interactions between parents and teachers for creation of the developing language environment and high quality interventions on language development.