That's why I used the expression "obsession with self-expression through
language" in a previous message in contrasting preschool educational
practices in the U.S. with those in Japan or China. Of course
communication is stressed every where--but the means of communication may
vary depending upon the semiotic system that is valued in a particular
practice. The contrast in the Preschool in Three Cultures video is not
as simple as verbal vs. nonverbal expression. In Japan, language use is
valued in many ways but not primarily as a means of expressing one's
inner thoughts and feelings to other preschool children. Of course, the
children in the Japanese classroom did that but it wasn't stressed by the
teachers as much as it was in the U.S.
Ellice Forman
Department of Psychology in Education
University of Pittsburgh