CHILDHOOD MULTILINGUALISM: CONTRIBUTIONS OF VYGOTKY AND SHCHERBA

Abstract

This work presents reflections on childhood multilingualism and child development. We reviewed the works of two Belarusian authors: Lev Semionovitch Vygotsky and Lev Vladimirovitch Shcherba. As a result, we indicate the relevance of the dialogue between psychology and linguistics. Vygotsky wrote the text K voprosu o mnogoiazitchii v detskom vozraste (The Question of Multilingual Children) between 1928 and 1929. Shcherba wrote Metodika: k voprossu o dvuiezitchii (Methodology: On the question of bilingualism) in 1930. Both texts became sources of our bibliographical research. By approaching Vygoysky and Shcherba’s works, we highlight the complexity and breadth of childhood multilingualism.