Vygotsky's Psychology-Philosophy » (New Edition)

This book is an introduction to Vygotsky and his theories of language and second language acquisition. Employing a dual framework of metatheory and metaphor, the author focuses on Vygotsky's cultural-historical perspective (contrasted with the sociocultural heritage more prevalent in the West) and its emphasis on history as change and thought as related to action. Included also is a comparison of Vygotskyan and Chomskyan theories of language and grammar.

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An introduction to L.S. Vygotsky and his theories of language, all of which relate to Chomsky, and second language acquisition (SLA). The focus revolves around an understanding of the cultural-historical perspective that he adopted, which was semiotic in nature as opposed to the socio-cultural heritage more prevalent in the West. After summarizing the main points of Vygotsky's psychology-philosophy, Robbins (Central Missouri State U.) compares the theories of his language to the philosophical side of Chomskyan linguistics. Her next focus relates more directly to the field of SLA and applied linguistics, including universal grammar. Finally, she examines the Vygotskian psychological understanding of grammar, leading into thoughts on functional grammar. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)