Receptive Language
Refers to the ability to UNDERSTAND LANGUAGE. (Ability to understand speech, written text, and/or the elements of a sign language).
Expressive Language
Refers to the ability to EXPRESS ONESELF using language. (Ability to speak, write, and/or sign).
Phonology
Refers to speech SOUNDS.
Phoneme
a DISTINCT SOUND used to distinguish spoken words in the language. The English language contains 45.
Semantic
Refers to the MEANING of parts of words, words, sentences, and larger units. Vocabulary acquisition is an important part of semantic development, involving changes in both expressive and receptive language.
Grammar
Refers to RULES that govern the STRUCTURE of language. Grammar can be further divided into 2 systems of rules, syntax and morphology.
Syntax
Pertains to RULES governing the PLACEMENT of words in phrases, clauses, and sentences. (Example: "Steve here is now" should be "Steve is here now").
Morphology
Refers to RULES governing the use of the SMALLEST PART OF WORDS that contribute to meaning. In English, for example, the verb, "learn" takes on somewhat different meanings depending on whether we refer to someone as "relearning," "unlearning," "learning," or "having learned," because the prefixes "re-" and "un-" and the suffixes "-ing" and "-ed" each modify the basic meaning of the verb. These prefixes and suffixes are morphemes. Also ending words with "s" to make them plural is as well.
Pragmatics
Defined as WHATEVER CONTRIBUTES TO MEANING over and above the literal meaning of the words that are used.
CONTEXTUAL information often provides important clues to meaning.
Differing tones of voice often convey important differences in meaning.
When language is used in a figurative way, as in the case of metaphor or analogy, the intended meaning of a phrase differs from the literal meaning. There are many conventions governing word choice in communicative contexts, such as how much information to convey, or what level of formality is needed.
Orthography
Refers to the system of representing oral LANGUAGE IN WRITING. Rules of orthography pertain to spelling, punctuation, capitalization, use of hyphens, and so on.
Motor Speech Disorders
Reflect anatomical or physiological LIMITATIONS in the physical mechanisms used to produce speech. The 2 general categories of motor speech disorders are dysarthria and apraxia.
Dysarthria
Is a WEAKNESS or PARALYSIS of the musculature that controls speech, typically resulting from illness or injury. May include excessively rapid or slow rate of speech, distorted vowels, unmodulated pitch and/or word flow, overly nasal speech, and so on.
Apraxia
Is an IMPAIRMENT IN the ABILITY TO TRANSLATE SPEECH plans into actual speech. Children know what they wish to say but their brains do not readily translate planned speech to the necessary movements of lips, tongue, and other parts of the speech apparatus.
CAS-Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Children will show LANGUAGE DELAYS and other abnormalities beginning in infancy. If the apraxia is not the result of illness or injury.
Articulation Disorders
Are reflected in DIFFICULTIES PRODUCING certain speech SOUNDS. (Example-a child who says "wight"
when attempting to say "right").
Fluency Disorders
Are reflected in DIFFICULTIES WITH the rhythm and TIMING of speech. Two examples are stuttering and cluttering.
Stuttering
A problem in which speech is disrupted by INVOLUNTARY PAUSES, also known as blocks, as well as repetitions and/or prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases.
Cluttering
A problem in which SPEAKING rate is unusually FAST and/or irregular.
Voice Disorders
Are manifest as DIFFICULTIES in PRODUCING LANGUAGE sounds of appropriate quality, pitch, and/or loudness.
Phonation Disorders