Language is fundamental to our everyday lives. From the moment we’re born, our brains are hardwired to interact with other humans through language. Unfortunately, not everyone experiences this luxury.
If you’re a parent of a young child with special needs, you’re no stranger to learning about the importance of early childhood language stimulation. Receptive and expressive are all components of a child’s learning.
Want to know their differences so you can be better equipped to help your children? Then keep reading to learn the difference between receptive vs. expressive language.
What Is Receptive Language?
Receptive language is something we all use every day. It’s the ability to understand words and language and their meaning.
It is the foundation of all language skills. It allows people to comprehend what others are trying to communicate.
Receptive language skills include:
- Listening comprehension
- Auditory processing,
- Reading comprehension
- Understanding facial expressions, body language, and gestures
What Is Expressive Language?
Expressive language is the ability to use words, sounds, and gestures to communicate one’s thoughts, ideas, and feelings. It is the outward expression of what someone wants to say. This can include words, gestures, signs, or other forms of communication.
People with expressive language delays do not show the development of language that would be expected for their age. The meaning is conveyed but can come across as jumbled or not make any sense at all to the listener.
How Do Both Languages Differ?
The difference between both languages involves understanding versus expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, and needs. Receptive language includes the ability to comprehend what others are saying. In contrast, expressive language involves formulating thoughts and feelings into words.
Kids struggling to understand words, sounds, and concepts may struggle with receptive language. In contrast, expressing thoughts or feelings may show difficulty with expressive language.
Being effective in both language skills is needed for successful communication. Kids need to have both language abilities to fellowship with others.
With both of these, they should be able to interact well with verbal and non-verbal communication.
Strategies to Enhance Both Languages
Strategies to enhance both languages include the following:
- Reading stories to children
- Let them talk about what happened in the story
- Asking questions about the events or characters
Parents can ask children to explain their thoughts and feelings through expressive language. Allow them to express themselves as part of childhood development.
They can also practice using new words in conversations. They can even role-play in social situations.
Repetition is key to helping children understand more complex concepts. Engage in discussions with them. Listen to their stories to enhance both languages.
Allow them to explain their ideas using many forms of communication. It can be through art, movement, or imagination. These strategies can help them bridge the gap between thoughts and words.
If all else fails, you can turn to professional help. Choose speech therapy services here to improve your child’s receptive and expressive language skills.
Improve Your Child’s Ability to Communicate Today
Receptive and expressive language are both key components of communication. It is essential to understand the difference between the two and recognize the signs when a child is struggling with either.
Do not hesitate to seek help from a team of professionals to ensure your child receives the assistance they need. Start building a strong foundation for communication today!
Did you find this information helpful? If you do, check out the rest of our site for more informative articles.
