The concept of readiness, presented in the learning theory of constructivism refers to the focus that a learner needs in order to be ready to interiorize new learnings from the environment.^[1] However, readiness must be recognized and stimulus should be given. This is where the family and social context around us come into play by creating an environment that enables learners to learn effectively. Given this dependency, developmentalism alone is not enough to produce learning.

Another level where an outside “structure” rather than our own brain development is needed is in the process of categorization of new information and here is where language comes into play. Assuming that reasoning structures indeed precede sentences (as sustained by Chomsky)^[2], the transition from these structures and the actual words we chose to build a sentence will present shades of the language and culture we are in.

For example, if I were born in Germany, I would know from my language the word Aufhebung (from Hegel philosophy)^[3], which does not have an exact equivalent in English or Italian and it means “simultaneous conservation and overcoming”. Therefore, the concept of “simultaneous conservation and overcoming” would be assimilated and accommodated faster and more directly by a German speaker, since the German language has 1 word for it, than an English speaker, since the English language does not have 1 unique word for it. This would translate into a cultural difference affecting learning.^[4]

In conclusion, this suggests a potential limitation of constructivism in its application across diverse cultural contexts, as the theory may not fully account for the ways in which specific cultural and linguistic environments shape the construction of knowledge.