INNER SPEECH, ORAL LANGUAGE, AND READING: HUEY AND VYGOTSKY REVISITED

Abstract

The paper summarizes Huey's and Vygotsky's characterization of inner speech and posits that Vygotsky's description of the inner mental process is optimal for explaining the role of oral language during the reading process despite objections from psycholinguists regarding the disparity of speed between silent and oral reading. Contrasted as well are Piaget's and Vygotsky's view of the evolution of early speech behavior, and again, Vygotsky's analysis is taken to be a more appropriate description of the eventual function of spoken language in the act of reading. Specific conclusions are drawn for the teaching of reading based upon the hypothesis presented that inner speech plays a central role in learning how to read.