Private Speech

“Thought is not merely expressed in words; it comes into existence through them.”   (Lev Vygotsky, 1896—1934)

I talk to others. I also talk to myself.  We all talk to ourselves. It is essential to thinking and reasoning that we do so.  This internal monologue, this “private speech,” mediates our attention, our learning, our behavior and our social interaction.  We use private speech to problem solve, to memorize, to categorize, to paraphrase, and to plan.

Much of what we know about the development of private speech, and the development of language in-general, comes from the research and theories of Lev Vygotsky.  Vygotsky was born in 1896 in Byelorussia to well-educated, middle-class Jewish parents.  Though formally educated in law, literature and philosophy, he taught and lectured in psychology. Despite suffering from tuberculosis, Vygotsky’s academic research and writings were prolific up until his death in 1934.  For many years thereafter, his work was largely unnoticed outside of the Soviet Union.  Only recently have his learning and language theories been widely studied, appreciated and applied.

Vygotsky recognized that language acquisition occurs best when a caring adult interacts with an inquiring child.  Optimally, language is learned in an interactive, language-rich environment, filled with stories, books and conversations.  Language is then rehearsed by the young child in the course of imaginary play, eventually becoming internalized as private speech.

Private speech is needed in order to interpret and store information in a meaningful way. Children with good private speech interpret silently what they hear and what they read.  They quietly paraphrase, and then can communicate the gist of what they have been asked to learn.  Children lacking a private voice cannot do so.

In the course of my career, I met many children who lacked use of private speech. Some of these children would problem solve, but their self-talk was out loud.  If asked by parents or teachers to be quiet, their problem solving ceased.  Other children I saw seemed not to use self-talk either silently our out loud. Often occurring with ADHD, these children faced significant academic, social and behavioral challenges. When spoken to, or when asked to read, they seemed unable to process information.  When questioned, they usually answered “I don’t know” or “I forget.”

Based on Vygotsky’s theories, I advised the parents of these children to create a language-rich environment at home in which private speech could yet develop. I suggested that parent and child read together, out loud.  I suggested stopping every so often to paraphrase and discuss what had been read. I advised parents to encourage their child to think out loud, this being a necessary step towards developing private speech. I stressed the importance of limiting electronics and engaging with one another daily in face-to-face conversations.

Unfortunately, children today spend less time interacting face-to-face with parents.  Children today spend less time in imaginary play.  There are less books being read, less stories being told and less conversations being had. Vygotsky understood the critical importance of parent-child interaction, the importance of adequate time for imaginary play and the importance of language acquisition, all essential for healthy development.  Vygotsky, long silenced and ignored, is now being clearly heard, informing us how children are supposed to learn.