It suggests that children have a natural, inherent integrity and ability to think for themselves—a "language of essence"—that adults often accidentally crush or forget in their own lives.
It was inspired by the removal of nature-related words (like "acorn," "bluebell," and "kingfisher") from a popular children's dictionary to make room for tech words like "broadband".
The phrase "The Forgotten Language of Childhood" can refer to several distinct literary and psychological works. Depending on which "forgotten language" you are referring to, the story changes significantly: 1. The Language of the Unconscious (Erich Fromm)
The book The Lost Words by tells a story of modern children losing their connection to the wild.
The Forgotten Language of Children eBook : Firestone, Lillian
Set in 1960s New York, the memoir follows a mother who chooses a path of "conscious living" rather than following peers to India.
It posits that as we grow up, we prioritize logical, rational thinking and "forget" how to communicate with our own deep feelings and the "collective unconscious". To "relearn" it, we must analyze our dreams and the ancient stories (fairy tales) that children still intuitively understand. 2. The Language of Nature (Robert Macfarlane)
This isn't a language of words like English or French, but a language of symbols, dreams, and myths .