SPEECH PROCESSES IN THE COGNITIVE LEARNING OF YOUNG CHILDREN.

The article explores the relationship of thought, speech and language to the development of cognitive formations. Oral language implies a linguistic or psycholinguistic concern for the code upon which speech is based. Oral communication suggests an interest in the social function of speech. Oral language and communication theorists consider speech as simply a means of transmitting language while the cognitive development viewpoint considers children's speech as an integrator of thought and language. Cognitive learning usually implies higher-order learning rather than the simple combination of stimulus, response and reinforcement.