Private speech
Refers to speech spoken aloud by children that is addressed to self. This process of spontenous articulating commands, descriptions and reminders serves as a means for children to plan activities and strategies. This is an essential transitional stage for children. It gradually appears in the early years, peaking at ages 5 to 6 and decreases in the middle childhood (Berk, 1986; Berk and Gavin 1984). Research shows that children use more self regulatory speech due to the need to solve difficult problems i.e the higher the level of difficulty, the increased incidence of private speech. This also shows the importance of using private speech in that, those who use private speech to talk themselves through difficult tasks were able to carry out their tasks more successfully than those who did not use it. (Gouws, 2015 :56)
Defence mechanisms
Are unconscious psychological painkillers that protect our minds from harmful, threatening thoughts and impulses. They are often needed and used to protect individuals from pain. For example, when a person is experiencing anxiety, the mind responds by increasing problem-solving thinking or seek rational ways of escaping the situation. If these fail, then the mind protects itself by denying and distorting reality in some way. These "painkillers" are neither good nor bad in themselves. It depends on how and for how long they are used. The main problem is that if they are used for a long time they become automatic and start to