TWO TYPES OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: ANALYTIC LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND GESTALT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Analytic and gestalt language development are two different ways children can develop language. Both styles of language development are natural pathways to language acquisition. There are some key differences between the two that are helpful to understand in order to support your child’s language development effectively.

WHAT IS AN ANALYTIC LANGUAGE PROCESSOR (ALP)?

An analytic language processor is a child who learns language through single units, where one word represents meaning.  As they continue to develop language, they add more words to produce a phrase, sentence, and then conversation.

There are four stages to analytic language development:

Stage 1: Single Words

                Example: “Block”

Stage 2: Two-Word Combinations

                Example: “Blue block”

Stage 3: Phrases

                Example: “Want blue block”

Stage 4: Sentences

                Example: “I put the blue block on top of the yellow block”

WHAT IS A GESTALT LANGUAGE PROCESSOR (GLP)?

A gestalt language processor is a child who learns language by memorizing whole phrases or “gestalts” (i.e., echolalic utterances which hold meaning for the child).  As they continue to develop language, they break down those scripts into individual words and eventually recombine words to produce self-generated utterances.

There are six stages to gestalt language development:

Stage 1: Delayed Echolalia

                Example: “Just keep swimming”

Stage 2: Mitigated Gestalts

                Example: “Just keep jumping”

Stage 3: Single Words & Two-Word Combinations

                Example: “Swimming”

Stage 4: Beginning Grammar

                Example: “The swimming pool people”

Stage 5: More Advanced Grammar

                Example: “The swimming pool is busy”

Stage 6: Complex Grammar

                Example: “Due to the holiday, the swimming pool is very crowded today”

WHAT ARE SOME INDICATORS THAT YOUR CHILD IS A GESTALT LANGUAGE PROCESSOR?

 Four common signs that a child is a gestalt language processor:

 1.      Long Gestalts- Gestalt language processors will use long chunks of language known as scripts.  Children will repeat chunks of language they heard in or out of context from songs, videos, TV shows, or movies.

2.      Single Words- Gestalt language processors are able to name many items using single words and may respond to some questions with single words. These single words become stuck, and the child is unable to combine these words to produce expanded utterances.

3.      Rich Intonation- Gestalt language processors are often called ‘intonation babies’ because they enjoy animated speech used by others and tend to use the same rhythm and tone of this animated speech.

4.      Unintelligible Long Strings of Language- Gestalt language processors will use long, unintelligible strings of language that sound like gibberish. You may recognize these strings of language resemble intonation from songs, videos, TV shows, or movies the child enjoys.

STILL NOT SURE IF YOUR CHILD IS AN ANALYTIC LANGUAGE PROCESSOR OR GESTALT LANGUAGE PROCESSOR?

 Find a speech language pathologist who specializes in analytic and gestalt language development.  They will be able to assess your child to help determine how they process language, and at which stage they’re currently functioning in.  Be sure to find a speech therapist well versed in both styles of language development so that your child is appropriately supported as they transition between the stages.