Scientific and spontaneous concepts, primary and secondary genres, behavioral and crystallized ideologies: Possible interrelations and educational implications

Abstract

Bearing in mind the similarities shared between Vygotsky’s theory of learning and development and the Marxist philosophy of language proposed by the Bakhtin circle, this paper aims at establishing a dialogue between the Vygotskian concepts of scientific and spontaneous knowledge and the Bakhtinian ideas concerning primary and secondary genres as well as behavioral and crystallized ideologies. Since these theoretical constructs share the assumption that consciousness is constituted through interaction with other people in a broad sociohistorical context, I believe that thinking of their interrelations can shed light on the understanding of teaching-learning situations seen, in a sociohistorical purview, as ideological arenas where knowledge is constructed and awareness is raised. In order to place the dialogue between these Vygotskian and Bakhtinian concepts into a concrete teaching-learning situation, I finalize the discussion with a reflection about the interplay of these conceptions in virtual conversations between a student and me, which are part of a distance course aiming at preparing the pupil for her EFL college entrance examinations.