Sociocultural Theory Sociocultural Theory Private speech
 Private speech takes place when children talk to themselves. Vygotsky saw this as the starting point for all mental developments. Oxford University Press. In simpler terms, Vygotsky thought that it was by using private speech that a child's biological instincts were made into culturally acceptable ways of acting. He suggested that children spoke to themselves as a way of guiding themselves through an action. Through relationships with more capable people, children get information and use that understanding in their private speech.