Appropriation of language as a structuring and organizing process of human activity: contributions to Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Theoretical aspects about the internalization of language, its role in the structuring of psychism, as well as elements that may favor its development in the early years of the child are presented. From its appropriation, other higher psychological functions and the formation of consciousness itself can be established, thus organizing a functional system that operates dynamically. The integrity of organic structures is of a fundamental character, however, it is not enough, since this appropriation is not genetically determined. Since the formation of the cochlea, intrauterinally, the baby starts to receive information of auditory order, however, it is from his birth, through interactions with other humans, that the world slowly becomes understandable – in a very elementary way, governed by biological mechanisms, towards the intentional and conscious form. The appropriation of language has its beginning, not by the meaning or significance of the words, but by the affectivity materialized in the prosody of the interlocutors and by their facial expressions, which gradually introduce the cultural elements of society. This first phase, not at all simple, is a period of crucial importance although often disregarded or neglected by professionals who have the first contact with the parents and their baby, for considering it a “natural”, spontaneous process, not requiring the action of a linguistically proficient adult. The importance of guidance to parents, caregivers, and teachers of Early Childhood Education on the establishment of this initial int eraction is of crucial importance, because its lack may generate not only delays in the functioning of language but also some difficulties and disorders in the development of the psychism.