What Is Language? What Is Speech?

Language is different from speech.

Language is made up of socially shared rules that include the following:

·         What words mean (e.g., "star" can refer to a bright object in the night sky or a celebrity)

·         How to make new words (e.g., friend, friendly, unfriendly)

·         How to put words together (e.g., "Peg walked to the new store" rather than "Peg walk store new")

·         What word combinations are best in what situations ("Would you mind moving your foot?" could quickly change to "Get off my foot, please!" if the first request did not produce results)

Speech is the verbal means of communicating. Speech consists of the following:

·         Articulation: How speech sounds are made (e.g., children must learn how to produce the "r" sound in order to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit").

·         Voice: Use of the vocal folds and breathing to produce sound (e.g., the voice can be abused from overuse or misuse and can lead to hoarseness or loss of voice).

·         Fluency: The rhythm of speech (e.g., hesitations or stuttering can affect fluency).

When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder.

When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder.

What types of speech and language disorders affect school-age children?

Children may experience one or more of the following disorders:

• Speech sound disorders – (difficulty pronouncing sounds)
• Language disorders – (difficulty understanding what they hear as well as expressing themselves with words)
• Cognitive-communication disorders – (difficulty with thinking skills including
  perception, memory, awareness, reasoning, judgment, intellect and imagination)
• Stuttering (fluency) disorders – (interruption of the flow of speech that may include hesitations, repetitions, prolongations of sounds or words)
• Voice disorders – (quality of voice that may include hoarseness, nasality, volume (too loud or soft)

Do speech-language disorders affect learning?

Speech and language skills are essential to academic success and learning. Language is the basis of communication. Reading, writing, gesturing, listening, and speaking are all forms of language. Learning takes place through the process of communication. The ability to communicate with peers and adults in the educational setting is essential for a student to succeed in school.

» Turn down the Volume
Protecting your student's ears with use of MP3 Players
» American Speech Language Hearing Association
Official site of American Speech Language Hearing Association
» Fluency
Helping children who stutter and their parents