A study investigated the hypothesis that during the "silent" period of second language learning, in which there is a dramatic drop in language directed to speakers of the second language, children not only passively assimilate second language input but also use private speech to actively integrate it. The study examined the learning strategies evident in the private speech of the youngest children (aged 3 to 5 years) in a group of 9 and contrasted them with the learning strategies used by the older subjects (aged 6 to 8). All subjects were native speakers of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Greater contrast was found in the quantity and quality of the older children's private speech relative to their learning styles, either inner-directed or other-directed. (MSE)