Receptive vs. Expressive Language Guide

If you ask me, language and communication are some of the greatest gifts and blessings that we have: the ability to connect with one another, love one another, console one another and even, when necessary, argue with one another. While these gifts develop naturally for some of us, that isn’t always the case. For others, some assistance may be needed. Language can be broken down into two major parts: Receptive Language and Expressive Language. In this blog post we’ll be diving a little deeper into each and their importance. 

Receptive Language

This is a person's understanding of language. While that definition may seem broad, there are a lot of intricacies to language. Receptive language includes things such as following directions, understanding stories and comprehending social situations among others. Within these concepts, we have even smaller subgroups of skills. For example: In following directions, we have following directions with location words (e.g., “grab your shoes from behind the door”), following directions with quantities (e.g., “get me 3 trucks”) and following directions with actions (e.g., “jump off of the couch”). Receptive language can sometimes feel a little bit overwhelming when trying to determine what your child may know or may not yet know. One way to test this is by asking your child questions or having them follow directions that include these concepts (location words, quantities, actions, etc.)

Expressive Language

This is a person's use of language. Expressive language can be an area that people may overlook or miss the depth that goes into it. I have found that parents typically think of expressive language as less of a language concept and more about vocabulary. While vocabulary is a big part of expressive language, there are so many areas of language that a child can learn. Naming items such as a truck, cup, ball, and a doll are all parts of it, but another important piece are the other language concepts such as core vocabulary, verbs, adjectives, location words and pronouns. These are all important elements of language that a child needs to be able to effectively communicate and participate in functional social communication.

THE TAKEAWAY

Listing off all of these items is not intended to overwhelm you! It is rather to help you better understand that language has many layers to it that all work together. For typical language learners, we never think twice about these layers and specific skills. On the other hand, a child who may not be a typical language learner is usually trying to navigate these layers without the appropriate set of tools needed and therefore may need additional assistance.

If we have a child who is speech and language delayed, how can we best help them? First and foremost, we can get a speech & language evaluation by a licensed speech language pathologist. In the meantime, at home, one thing to consider is the value of both receptive and expressive language in everyday moments. Here’s why: until a child understands a concept receptively, they will not be able to use it expressively. Repeating a word does not necessarily imply that a child understands its meaning. They will need to be shown in a real life setting. One great way to do this is with books. There are so many words and concepts that we know and understand but don’t use on a daily basis that children need to know and won't otherwise be exposed to. Reading with your child is a wonderful way to spend quality time together while also teaching them valuable language concepts! Learn more about Mondy’s Mission: Under The Sea and its focused attention on core vocabulary HERE.

- Austin Collignon, M.S. CCC-SLP