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Apprenticeship in Word Use: Social Convergence Processes in Learning Categorically Related Nouns

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The Development of Word Meaning

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Cognitive Development ((2116))

Abstract

Research and theory aimed at understanding the development of word meaning has generated a wealth of information about early semantic development. To date, most of this work has focused on the task of describing changes in the child’s internal representations of lexical items and, to a lesser degree, on what has been called theprocess of acquisition. An important point about this vast body of prior research is its dependence on the implicit supposition that theacquisition process is a process localized within children. This supposition has persisted largely undisturbed because of widespread failure to fully appreciate the social embeddedness of cognitive development, in general, and of word learning, in particular. This chapter offers a markedly different perspective on the problems of semantic development—one built on foundations laid by Vygotsky and Wittgenstein, though drawing materials from the Piagetian, social learning, and learning-theoretic traditions as well.

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Authors
  1. Alison K. Adams
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  2. Daniel Bullock
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, 75275, Dallas, Texas, USA

    Stan A. Kuczaj II

  2. Department of Psychology, Roehampton Institute Digby Stuart College, SW15 5PH, London, UK

    Martyn D. Barrett

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Adams, A.K., Bullock, D. (1986). Apprenticeship in Word Use: Social Convergence Processes in Learning Categorically Related Nouns. In: Kuczaj, S.A., Barrett, M.D. (eds) The Development of Word Meaning. Springer Series in Cognitive Development. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4844-6_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4844-6_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-4844-6

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