I am going to argue this project about sociological perspective. I will illustrate and talk about the founder and the leader, Russian psychologist, Vygotsky. I will discuss how his theory of sociological perspective helped other psychologists to follow it. I will show how psychological perspective is important in learning generally and learning a second language particularly. I will demonstrate its importance inside the classroom and how it benefited and created the interaction between teachers and students as an applied education to the sociological perspective
Acknowledgments
A long but prospective journey full of hard work and hope for the bright future, a Lot of ups and downs throughout my study in this distinguished scientific edifice, from life burdens and hard-working studies in this Institute of Education from which I want to start thinking, my teachers who exerted all efforts to provide us with the utmost benefits, from you my teacher and all teachers who did their best for our sake. To my teacher who respected my independence and carefully appreciated my work and efforts. I want to thank my colleagues who tried hard to offer all assistance. A special thanking to my parents who watched over by my side encouraging me with all hopes for a better future. Thanks to everyone who is loyal and want to flourish prosperity and welfare throughout my beloved country the UAE and my prospective city of Ras Alkheima.
Sociocultural Perspective psychology
Sociocultural Perspective is used in psychology to describe our recognition of things that surround individuals and how their behaviors are affected by these surrounding, social and cultural factors. According to Catherine A. Sanderson (2010) “ Sociocultural Perspective, a perspective describing people’s behavior and mental processes with relation to their social and cultural contact, including race, gender, and nationality”. The sociocultural perspective theory is a broad, but significant aspect to human beings. It applies to many fields of daily lives. The way we communicate, understand, relate and keep in touch with others is based on this perspective. Our spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, physiological needs are associated with sociocultural perspective theory
Sociocultural Perspective On Learning
When we think about theories of learning, LIDT professionals should also consider sociocultural perspectives and the role that culture, interaction, and collaborations play on equality learning. Modern social learning theories come originally from the work of Russian psychologist Vygotsky, who produced his ideas between 1924 and 1934 as a reaction to existing conflicting approaches in psychology. Vygotsky’s ideas helped identify the role social interaction and culture play in the development of higher-order thinking skills, which is valuable for the insights it provides about the dynamic “interdependence between individual and social processes in the construction of of knowledge” (John-Steiner & Mahn, 1996. P. 192. Vygotsky’s views are often considered primarily as developmental theories, focusing on qualitative changes in behavior over time as attempts to explain unseen processes of development of thought, language, and higher-order thinking skills. Although Vygotsky’s intent was mainly to understand higher psychological processes in children, his ideas have many implications and practical applications for learners of all ages.
Three themes are recognized from Vygotsky’s ideas of sociocultural learning. (1) human development and learning are found in social, historical, and cultural interaction.(2) use of psychological tools, particularly language, lead to developing higher mental functions. (3) learning occurs within the Zone of Proximal Development. Vygotskian mentioning social learning contrasts Piaget’s ideas of cognitive development, which suggests that developing certain stages is determined in the individual, and precedes cognitive complexity. This difference in assumption has significant implications to the design and development of learning experiences. We know that learning process enables the achievement of higher levels of development, which in turn affects “readiness to learn a new concept’ (Miller, 2011.p.1790. In essence
Learning awakens a variety of internal developmental processes that are able to operate only when the child is interacting with people in his environment organized learning results in mental development and sets in motion a variety of developmental processes that would be impossible apart from learning.
Thus learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human, psychological functions. (Vygotsky, 19708. P.90)
Sociological perspective and learning a language
Another purpose of the sociological perspective is found in language learning. We expect learners’ actions to know their language learning cannot be understood without considering the situated contexts in which strategies emerge and develop. From theory into practice, “ A sociological Perspective on Second Language Learners Strategies. Focus on the Impact of Social Context. By Eunn Young Jang and Robert T Jiminez, 2011.
Applying sociological perspective inside the classroom
There should be strong relationship between teachers and students inside classrooms through interaction. The classroom is a social site where sociological perspective plays an effective role in understanding social phenomena occurring inside the classroom which is considered a turning point where sociological theory meets practical education. There are some activities related to educational sociological concepts such as socialization, social integration, social and cultural innovation. There are also talented functions as going to school and receiving an education rather than a direct effect of the education itself. The most important talented function is child care. Vygotsky emphasizes the importance of cognitive development through culture and social interaction. He added Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) takes place when social interaction occurs between a student and more knowledgeable individual in a certain subject matter by guiding students’ learning tasks. Students need the assistance of some kind to achieve their goals. The process scaffolding means giving students a framework to extend their knowledge , interaction and internally, so cognitive development of new language happens as a product of interaction between student and teacher.
Conclusion
I showed through my discussion in this project the mutual relationship between sociological perspective and learning and how they influence each other on learning and I showed how great was the Russian sociologist to whom we can’t ignore his contribution to modern sociocultural perspective and his part in SL learning and developing the process of gaining new language. I illustrated throughout this work how sociological perspective played an effective role on learning and Education and how methods of teaching changed altogether from initiation and keeping by heart into critical thinking and sharing students’ own thinking and their abilities towards beneficial and independent learning when teachers only guide and monitor the process of learning and classroom interaction.