science

Language delay

Language delay is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Language delay rather than just read about it. In short: A language delay is a language disorder in which a child fails to develop language abilities at the usual age-appropriate period in their developmental timetable. It is most commonly seen in children ages two to seven years-old and can continue into adulthood.

Key takeaways

Language delay belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Language delay to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Language delay from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A language delay is a language disorder in which a child fails to develop language abilities at the usual age-appropriate period in their developmental timetable. It is most commonly seen in children ages two to seven years-old and can continue into adulthood. The reported prevalence of language delay ranges from 2.3 to 19 percent. Language delays are distinct from speech delays, in which the development of the mechanical and motor aspects of speech production are delayed. Many tend to confuse language delay with speech delay or even just late talker. All of these have different telltale signs and determining factors. Speech delay seems to be more similar to late talker compared to language delay. Speech is the verbal motor production of language, while language is a means of communication. Because language and speech are independent, they may be individually delayed. For example, a child may be delayed in speech (i.e., unable to produce intelligible speech sounds), but not delayed in language because they use a Sign Language. Additionally, language delay encompasses the entirety of language developmental progress being slowed and not just the speech aspects. Language delays are recognized by comparing language development of children to recognized developmental milestones. They are presented in a variety of ways, as every individual child has a unique set of language skills and deficiencies that are identifiable through many different screenings and tools. There are different causes leading to language delay; it is often a result of another developmental disorder and treatment requires analysis of the unique individual causes. The condition is frequently observed early on, among two- and three-year-olds. Early language delays are only considered risk-factors in leading to more severe language disorders.

Language development The anatomical language centers of the brain are the Broca's and Wernicke's area. These two areas include all aspects of the development of language. The Broca's area is the motor portion of language at the left posterior inferior frontal gyrus and involves speech production. The Wernicke's area is the sensory portion of language at the posterior part of the left superior temporal gyrus and involves verbal comprehension. There are recognizable speech and language developmental milestones in children. For children with language delays, milestones in their language development may be different or slowed. Recent studies have shown the different milestones for children with language delay compared to children with normal language development. Language delays are often identified when a child strays from the expected developments in the timeline of typical speech and language developmental milestones that researchers agree on. Children can stray slightly from the confines of the expected timeline; however, if a child is observed to be largely straying from the expected timeline, the child's caretaker should consult with a medical specialist.

Timeline of typical speech and language developmental milestones This timeline only provides a very general and brief outline of expected developments from birth to age five, individual children can still exhibit varying development patterns as this timeline only serves as a general guideline. This timeline is only one model, other models regarding language development exist. The development of language remains a theoretical mystery.

Around 2 months, babies can make "cooing" sounds. Around 4 months, babies can respond to voices. Around 6 months, babies begin to babble and respond to names. Around 9 months, babies begin to produce mama/dada - appropriate terms and are able to imitate one word at a time. Around 12 months, toddlers can typically speak one or more words. They can produce two words with meaning. Around 15 months, toddlers begin to produce jargon, which is defined as "pre-linguistic vocalizations in which infants use adult-like stress and intonation". Around 18 months, toddlers can produce 10 words and follow simple commands. Around 24 months, toddlers begin to produce 2-3 words and phrases that use "I", "Me", and "you", indicating possession. They are about 25% intelligible. Around 3 years, toddlers are able to use language in numerical terms. Based on the milestones set for typical toddlers, if the child tends to have a lot of or very long delays, they may be deemed as having language delay. However, proper testing by a professional like a speech therapist or a doctor's confirmation will be required to determine if a child has language delay. Although these milestones are the typical milestones for a child, they should not be followed strictly as they are mere guidelines.

Language development in language delay Early developmental language delay is characterized by slow language development in preschoolers. Language development for children with language delay takes longer than the general timeline provided above. It is not only slower, but also presents itself in different forms. For example, a child with a language delay could have weaker language skills such as the ability to produce phrases at 24 months-old. They may find themselves producing language that is different from language norms in developing children.

Types A language delay is commonly divided into receptive and expressive categories. Both categories are essential in developing effective communication. Receptive language refers to the process of understanding language, both verbal (spoken) and nonverbal (written, gestural). This may involve gaining information from sounds and words, visual information from surrounding environment, written information and grammar. Expressive language refers to the use of sentences (made of words or signs) to communicate messages to others. It enables children to express their needs and wants to the people around them, interact with others and develop their language skills in speech and writing. Some expressive language skills include putting words together into sentences, being able to label objects in an environment and describing events and actions.

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Language delay

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Language delay claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Language delay before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Language delay ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Language delay

In research: Language delay appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Language delay in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Language delay is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Applied linguistics, Communication disorders, Language acquisition, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Language delay outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Language delay in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Language delay means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Language delay out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Language delay in simple terms?

Why does Language delay matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Language delay?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Language delay.