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Unlock This CourseThe telegraphic stage is a crucial milestone in language development that occurs between 18-30 months of age. During this period, children begin combining words to create simple two or three-word phrases that sound like old-fashioned telegrams - hence the name! Just like telegrams used only essential words to save money, children at this stage use only the most important words to get their message across.
This stage represents a major leap forward from single-word utterances to basic sentence construction. Children start to show understanding of word order and begin expressing more complex ideas, even though their grammar isn't perfect yet.
Key Definitions:
Children at this stage drop function words (like "the", "is", "in") and focus on content words that carry the main meaning. For example, instead of saying "The cat is sleeping on the bed", a child might say "Cat sleep bed". The message is clear even without perfect grammar!
Telegraphic speech has several distinctive features that make it easy to identify. Understanding these characteristics helps us recognise when children are progressing normally through language development stages.
During the telegraphic stage, children's speech follows predictable patterns that show they're learning the rules of language, even if they can't apply them perfectly yet.
Children generally use correct word order for their language. English-speaking children say "Daddy go" not "Go daddy" when they mean daddy is going somewhere.
Only the most important words are included. Children drop articles (a, the), prepositions (in, on) and auxiliary verbs (is, are) but keep nouns and main verbs.
Despite missing words, the intended meaning is usually obvious from context. "More juice" clearly means "I want more juice" or "Give me more juice".
Common telegraphic phrases include:
• "Mummy go" (Mummy is going/has gone)
• "Big car" (That's a big car)
• "More milk" (I want more milk)
• "Daddy work" (Daddy is at work)
• "No bed" (I don't want to go to bed)
• "Where ball?" (Where is the ball?)
Although telegraphic speech might seem simple, it actually shows that children are beginning to understand complex grammatical rules. They're not just copying what they hear - they're creating their own sentences using the grammar patterns they've absorbed.
Several pieces of evidence show that children at the telegraphic stage are actively learning grammar rules, not just memorising phrases they've heard before.
Children apply grammar rules too broadly, saying things like "goed" instead of "went" or "mouses" instead of "mice". This shows they understand the rule for making past tense (-ed) and plurals (-s), even though they apply it incorrectly to irregular words.
Children create word combinations they've never heard before, like "allgone milk" or "more up" (meaning pick me up again). This creativity proves they're not just copying but generating their own sentences.
While the telegraphic stage is universal across cultures, there are interesting individual differences in how children progress through this phase. Some children are "noun lovers" who focus on naming things, while others are "verb lovers" who concentrate on actions.
Research by Bornstein and colleagues (2004) studied telegraphic speech in children from different cultures. They found that while all children go through this stage, the specific words they choose reflect their cultural priorities. For example, Korean children often include more verbs in their telegraphic speech compared to English-speaking children, reflecting Korean language structure where verbs are particularly important.
Several factors influence how quickly and effectively children progress through the telegraphic stage.
Children who hear more varied and complex language from caregivers tend to progress faster through the telegraphic stage and develop richer vocabulary.
Children who have more opportunities for back-and-forth conversation develop telegraphic speech more quickly than those with limited interaction.
Some children are naturally more talkative and experimental with language, while others are more cautious and prefer to perfect words before using them.
The telegraphic stage is a stepping stone to more complex language use. As children approach their third birthday, they begin adding function words back into their speech and developing more sophisticated grammar structures.
Children start adding articles ("the cat"), prepositions ("in box") and auxiliary verbs ("is running"). Their Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) increases from about 2 words to 3-4 words per sentence.
Parents and caregivers can support children through the telegraphic stage by responding to their attempts at communication and gently expanding on what they say.
Expansion: When a child says "Doggy big", respond with "Yes, that's a big dog!"
Extension: Add new information - "Yes, that's a big brown dog. He looks friendly!"
Repetition: Repeat the child's message correctly without directly correcting them
Patience: Give children time to express themselves without rushing or finishing their sentences
Psychologists and speech therapists use various methods to assess whether children are progressing normally through the telegraphic stage. Understanding these assessment tools helps us recognise when children might need additional support.
Professionals use standardised tests, language samples and parent reports to evaluate telegraphic speech development. They look at vocabulary size, sentence length and grammar complexity to determine if a child is developing typically.
Roger Brown's Harvard Study (1973) followed three children (Adam, Eve and Sarah) through their language development. He found that all three showed similar patterns in the telegraphic stage, despite different rates of development. Eve progressed fastest, reaching complex grammar by age 2, while Adam took longer but followed the same sequence. This research established that the order of language acquisition is more consistent than the timing.