Lingestione

Lingestione is a term used in linguistics and cognitive science to denote a proposed construct describing the integrated management of linguistic input and output across modalities during real-time language processing. It encompasses how listeners, readers, and speakers coordinate phonological, semantic, and syntactic information to maintain coherence and facilitate learning. The word is a neologism derived from lingua (language) and gestione (management) in Italian.

The concept emerged in small bodies of work in the 2010s that investigate cross-modal language processing in multilingual contexts. Proponents argue that Lingestione captures the dynamic interplay between perception, prediction, integration, and production, extending models that treat listening, reading, and speaking as separate streams.

Its core components include perceptual attention to multi-sensory cues, predictive processing to anticipate upcoming input, integrative binding of information across modalities, and rapid production planning that aligns with comprehension. Lingestione is often discussed in relation to topics such as cognitive load, working memory, and second-language acquisition, and it has been used to frame instructional designs that simultaneously train perception and production.

Critics note that Lingestione lacks standardized measurement and clear theoretical boundaries, and that empirical evidence is still developing. It remains a contested label within debates about multimodal language processing and education.

See also: multimodal communication, cognitive load theory, second-language acquisition, speech perception, working memory.