Soviet research on speech and language: An American perspective∗

Abstract

The authors present a critical review of selected Soviet papers on early speech development, which they see as dealing with a variety of important issues and presenting data which has great research implications. While pointing out methodological weaknesses, they stress that the Russian studies show a willingness to grapple with some of the most interesting problems in the area of language development, and demonstrate remarkable ingenuity and flexibility in designing experimental tasks to elucidate these questions. In addition to analyzing each of the Russian papers, they point out three dominant themes in Soviet studies: concern with analyzing the ways in which mental processes differ from other (e.g., motor) reactions; emphasis on facilitating development; and stress on the role of social context in the development of higher mental functions. This review, together with the Russian papers, is highly relevant to those concerned with preschool education.