Vygotsky is almost a “Mozart” in developmental and educational psychology. Lev Semenovich Vygotsky (1896-1934) was an excellent Belarusian psychologist and physician. He was also a pioneer in Soviet neuropsychology and a theorist in developmental psychology.

The things that Vygotsky said were ignored for a very long time. But he never stopped defending an important idea: Culture plays a very important role in the development of mental processes.

In fact, we can say with reflection that his contribution was a real revolution, especially in the fertile territory, partly of psychology and education. Much of Vygotsky’s research and words focused on:

• The role of language in human behavior.
• The role of language in the mental development of children.
• The origin and development of the overall mental functions.
• Philosophy of science.

• The methods of psychological research.
• The psychology of art.
• Play as a psychological phenomenon.
• The study of learning disorders and abnormal human development.

The most iconic quotes by Vygotsky

The importance of social interaction

Social interaction is the origin and engine of learning.

The direction in which thought processes develop is not from the individual to the social. Instead, it is from the social to the individual.

He says that learning would be a way to adapt to the available cultural heritage. It is not just a process of individual assimilation.

Vygotsky explains that human learning presupposes a certain social character. It is that it is a process by which children gain access to what is happening in the brains of others.

The value of the idea of ​​understanding

To understand the language of others, it is not enough to understand the words. You need to understand their thoughts.

With language, we have a way of confirming or denying things. This implies that a person has an awareness of what he is and can act of his own free will.

Language and thought have different origins, but thought is verbalized and speech becomes rational.

In particular, children’s language is social and external, but it is slowly becoming internalized. The cognitive development in children takes place through informal and formal conversations with adults. Children begin to perceive the world through their eyes, but also through their speech.

The abandonment of imitation

As we evolve, we simply stop imitating the behavior of others or react automatically when faced with external stimuli.

A child absorbs from its environment, like a sponge. As we get older, we stop imitating and reacting to the environment, but more in terms of our schemes and values.

The relationship between words and thoughts

A word without thought is a dead thing, just as a thought not accompanied by words remains in the shadows.

A thought can be compared to a cloud that counts words. Language is the most important interplay of interaction and it is essential for the development of the mind. Language is essential for thoughts.

The definition of knowledge

Knowledge is the product of the interaction between individual and environment, understanding as something social and cultural, not just physical.

All overall psychological processes (communication, language, argumentation, etc.) are first acquired in a social context. Later, they are internalized on an individual level . Basically, there is no better learning than the one that provides experience and its own critical judgment.

The teacher as a facilitator

The teacher should play the role of facilitator, not as a content provider.

A student creates his own path and the teacher accompanies him . What a child can do with help today, he will be able to do himself tomorrow.

According to Vygotsky, learning is like a tower. You have to build it step by step. It is very closely associated with proximal development, social construction and the concept of scaffolding.

Social adaptation

We become ourselves through everyone else.

Vygotsky believed that only social adaptation could really satisfy a need. Let us remember that culture determines a large part of our needs. A mind can not be independent of the culture it is in. In this sense, we are social beings, not isolated persons.

Vygotsky talks about complex psychological functions, such as dialogue. He sees them as very valuable for problem solving. His philosophy, with its positive nature, is deeply an attempt to emphasize the importance of our surroundings. The power that these environments have on our development.

We are constantly changing, and culture and experience are our two main compasses in life.