What is the difference between speech and language?

New to the world of speech and language therapy? Our resident speech-language pathologist, Emily Creteau, is here to help you navigate the world of speech and language services!  Today let's talk about the difference between speech and language.

The term "speech" refers to the actual sounds that come out of our mouth to make words.  Speech involves the brain telling the mouth which words to say and what sounds make up that word.  These signals are received and the muscles that control the tongue, lips, and jaw carry out the action in a very precise way.  If someone has difficulty with speech, others may have difficulty understanding the message he or she is trying to get across.

The term "language" refers to how we use speech, reading, or writing to communicate with others. Language is often broken up into two types-  receptive and expressive.  Receptive language refers to what we understand when others speak to us or we read.  A student with receptive language challenges may have difficulty following directions, comprehending a book, or learning academic information.   Expressive language refers to how we use words to create messages for others.  If a student is having difficulty with expressive language, he or she may have a hard time with grammar, creating sentences, and telling stories. 

Over the next week or so we will continue to take a more in-depth look at the impact speech and language skills can have on a student's academic success.  If you have any specific questions  you would like answered please don't hesitate to reach out-  we are here for you!