What is Telegraphic language? Telegraphic language Examples and Definition

What is telegraphic language?
Do you remember the telegram, the way of communication in the past? This form of communication, short and simple with words, gave its name to the kind of speech we will talk about in this article. Telegraphic speech is a way of communicating with one or two words, without forming a sentence. This type of speech, which can be observed in children who are just beginning to speak, is the situation in which a problem is expressed by a simple word or by the combination of two simple words. Telegraphic speech, which is considered as the beginning of the ability to speak, is of great importance because of its place in human life. For this reason, we can say that telegraphic speech can be observed in newly beginning children all over the world. To explain it briefly, we can say that telegraphic speech is the first type of verbal communication.

What is telegraphic speech like in children?
We cannot expect children who are just beginning to speak to suddenly form complete sentences. Although children communicate with a complete sentence structure, children cannot show this ability all at once. Children who are beginning to speak can express their feelings and desires with telegraphic language. As this type of language develops, children move to full sentence structure over time. This means that telegraphic speech forms a foundation.

Examples of children's telegraphic speech
Let us use a small example to explain what we mean. Imagine a child who seems to be looking for something in the house and has just started talking. If you ask him what he is looking for, he will understand your sentence but will not be able to form a complete sentence. By simply saying "Toys!" to you, he can express what he has been looking for and cannot find.

Another example of children's telegraphic way of speaking is when a child uses "hungry" to show the person he is talking to that he wants to eat. Children can also use this way of speaking to indicate what they want you to do, such as "Come" or "Go." They can also show you the objects or creatures they see and tell you what happened. For example, if they say "Cat!". while walking on the street, they are conveying to you what they see. This telegraphic conversation becomes stronger as children develop. This is evidence that their grammatical level has increased. Now they can express themselves better using two words. Examples are "daddy come", "sis", "give me".

Preparing children for telegraphic speech
It is very important to introduce children who cannot speak yet, but can already make sounds, to telegraphic speech so that they acquire their first communication skills. It is possible to give a few simple instructions to achieve this orientation. For example, tell children the names of objects they see around them. Another tip is to ask them a question and give them the answer. The next time you ask this question, the child can give you the answer. For example, take a spoon in your hand. Ask the child, "What is this?" Then tell him that the object you have in your hand is a spoon. Ask the same question again. The answer the child can give you this time is a spoon.

Is telegraphic speech unique to children?
Telegraphic speech, which begins in children when they acquire the ability to speak, transitions to a normal level of speech as children grow and develop. There are children who acquire this ability later. In adults, short answers are not the type of telegraphic speech. Nevertheless, some adults can have a telegraphic conversation. The reason may be neurological diseases. For example, multiple sclerosis. It is also known as aphasia disease, which is one of the reasons for this speech in adults. This way of speaking can also be observed in patients with schizophrenia. Adults who do not suffer from such diseases are people who have already gone beyond telegraphic speech.

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