From twelve years old onwards

Up to around 12 years old, the child uses the rules they have learnt to structure their language. Concepts discussed are typically factual and concrete.

From 12 years old young people essentially start to communicate as adults, with an increasing maturity through the remainder of their school years. Supported by their wider education, the young person should start to comprehend and debate abstract theoretical ideas, language and idioms. Activities in schools will support the learning of how to use language to describe and to analyse situations, making deductions, inferring why something is occurring and learning to solve problems. Piaget identifies the ability of the young person to move into thinking about the problem and to analyse a situation as the formal operations stage.

Whilst the young person is encouraged to analyse a situation, many young people continue to communicate in very factual ways, continuing to use language in a concrete way as they learnt before the age of 12 years old. Development can stop prior to the development of the formal operations stage described by Piaget.

Social interaction is particularly important for the young person at this age, in learning about who they are. Language is essential to this process and will become more sophisticated. As the young person gets older, their use of language develops these characteristics.

Be aware

For some young people it can be difficult to form friendships and build relationships. This will usually also affect the young person’s ability to develop speech and an ability to communicate well as an adult.

Select the image to hear Andrew, a 13 year old boy, talk about a volcano.

Transcript