Duas vertentes da ontogênese da linguagem no desenvolvimento cognitivo

• Autor(a) principal: Moura, Maria Lucia Seidl de
• Data de Publicação: 1987
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional do FGV (FGV Repositório Digital)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10438/9673
• topic: Psicologia; Linguagem

This study brings a contribution to the discussion of the language -cognition relation, examining a restricted aspect of the problem: the hypothesis of a cognitive basis for language acquisition. The Piagetian theoretical model is analysed in its explanation of the ontogenesis of language as a result of sensorimotor intelligence constructions. Some of its aspects are questioned, the possibility of formulation of verifiable hypothesis based on it is examined and the literature is reviewed in search of relevant evidence. The main problem observed is a conception of language limited to a performance criterion. Only the beginning of speech is considered in almost all studies. A new theoretical model is proposed, still constructivist, including the discussion of comprehension in language acquisition. The central hypothesis formulated is that before stage VI it is possible to deal with the linguistic signo To verify it, a longitudinal and a transversal study of the linguistic and cognitive development of 45 children, 8 to 18 months were conducted. Comprehension development is compared to production in different aspects. In the age level studied, the first one starts earlier, is faster and leads to a greater vocabulary and more complex stage. There is also evidence that imitation plays different roles in the construction of the two kinds of vocabularies. The beginning of a more generalized and systematical response to language is observed since nine months, when the child is capable of coordination of secondary circular reactions and of mentally reconstructing and object by a visible fraction of it. It is argued that this answer already includes sign decoding and differentiation significant-significate, as a preliminary stage of a process which continues with concept formation. Data do not allow the identification of cognitive pre-requisites of language acquisition. Nevertheless, two aspects can be viewed as correlates of the beginning of the process of sharing linguistic signs: the child's possibility of understanding that he has a name and of responding to it and a primitive intentionality. Results support the hypotheses formulated and suggest that the final constructions of the sensori-motor period are not necessary conditions of language acquisition and that this process is not a direct consequence of cognitive development. Further studies are needed to verify the implications of the present conclusions, without the limitations of this study.