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Thursday, August 12, 2010

Zone of Proximal Development Part 4: Participants

An infant's Zone of Proximal Development would probably include such participants as his mother and father, extended family members, and any other caretakers.  Inclusion in an infant's ZPD would also depend on the adults' level and intention of direct communication with the infant.  At the earliest stages of language learning in an infant's life, he is only able to participate well in the realm of direct interaction.  He is not participating in the language that goes on around him, but rather only that language which includes him.

This does not mean he is not benefiting from the language that is going on around him.  For instance, he benefits phonetically and phonologically from the background noise of his mother tongue, meaning he is sub-consciously gaining an understanding for the sound system of the language.

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