The concept of an inner voice hearkens back to the age of Socrates in the Symposium. Here we have mention of the daemon as a type of divine guidance spoken between the human and the divine. Contemporary research on the purpose and function of the inner voice provides us with the an entirely new sector of ideas to understand this phenomena. I particularly find this subject interesting in the context of the learning process where new information is integrated into our cognitive structures. Awareness of the purpose and function of inner voice on learning can help educators in formulating appropriate instructional strategies. Vygotsky was an early pioneer in the study of inner voice and the leaning process. In Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) educators are provided with a construct that is used to determine the level and depth of instructional intervention required to support the learner. Vygotsky's research on inner voice, or self-talk, was a vital stage in understanding the vital role it plays in learning development.
In the article "The Inner Voice" by Philip Jaekl, two very interesting discoveries are presented. The first is an expanded internal speech that is grammatically correct:
"Fernyhough calls the most familiar level of inner speech ‘expanded’
because it is basically the same as external speech – grammatical and
fully formed, but not vocal. He believes this kind of inner speech is
most likely engaged when we are under stress or cognitive pressure.
Imagine, for example, while travelling, that you are making an important
phone call regarding a lost passport. While on hold there’s a good
chance that you’ll mentally rehearse exactly what you are about to say
to the official on the other end – your story about how your passport
went missing – in language that is full and complete."
The second example is disjointed and grammatically incorrect, yet somehow coherent:
"Condensed inner speech is defined as a highly abbreviated and ungrammatical version of regular speech. Although possibly linguistic – comprised of words – it is not intended to be communicated or even understood by others. For example, as a habit in the winter since my younger days, I often think to myself, ‘passlockmoney’ before heading out the door to go snowboarding. For you to understand what I mean, I’m required to expand this term: Remember your ticket or pass if it is still valid, your snowboard lock, and cash or credit card for getting lunch (and après beer)."
Educators can benefit from acquiring a deeper understanding of inner voice and the impact on student learning. Vygotsky provides the ZPD as an effective system to address the deeper systems of the learning process in a way that produces superior results in performance and retention. Far too often academic structures are imposed over learning structures and thereby negate the opportunity for students to engage in deep learning. Designing curriculum and delivering instruction with these elements in mind will greatly assist student in the processing stages of the learning cycle.