What is the definition of Language? What is the definition of Speech?
Language is different from Speech. Language is a code of a group of rules that include: • What a word means • How do we make new words (watch, watched, watching) • How we combine a string of words that convey meaning (sentence: “The boy is watching television” vs. “Television boy the watching is”) • Word combinations in specific situations (“Would you please pass the salt” vs. “Pass me the salt!”) When an individual demonstrates difficulty understanding language, then they present with a receptive language problem. If an individual has difficulty expressing their thoughts, ideas and feelings, then they present with an expressive language problem. Both problems may exist on an individual basis and/or coexist. • Speech is the ability to make sounds by coordinating and moving specific oral motor structures (e.g., tongue, mouth) at the right time. A child that may produce atypical sounds consistently may present with a speech problem. • Language and speech problems may coexist and/or exist
