Although they are often used as synonyms, the truth is that communication, language, language and speech are not the same. And it is important to know the differences between them when talking about language disorder, speech disorder or communication disorder.
Long before they can speak, children already communicate using a language formed by soundproof signals generated by a wide repertoire of body movements that they perform naturally, directed not to the ears but to the eyes: when the child is hungry, he pouches ; when he's happy, he smiles ...
Communication, language, language and speech have their own characteristics that allow them to differentiate from each other; However, these barriers between concepts are very fragile. Let's see what these differences are.
Communication it is the exchange of information between two individuals: a sender who sends a message and a receiver who understands it. It is not something exclusive to the human being, since there is communication between a person and an animal or between two animals. It is very important to emphasize that for communication to exist, understanding must be given. The exchange of information can be done through various channels: it can be through touch, through the look, through the gestures of the face or body movements, through the voice ...
Language It is the ability to exchange more complex and abstract information through a code of signs, which both partners know so that communication is effective. For example, when a baby is playing and likes, he looks at his mother and smiles; He is communicating with her, but he does not do so by means of a symbolic code. On the other hand, when the child says "more", he is using a symbol to indicate that he wants to continue playing.
But language should not necessarily be oral, such as the sign language of deaf people or pictographic languages, such as that used by people with severe motor disorders. However, human language par excellence is oral language and also has a physical representation (written language).
Language is something important in our lives since, although it is not the only means we use to communicate, it is the most relevant. In addition, language is the structuring instrument of thought and action. Language also acts as a structuring and regulating factor of personality and social behavior. Finally, oral language is the main means of information and culture.
Language It is a system of signs that we learn and retain in our memory. It is a code that every speaker knows and that he uses every time he needs it. This code is very important for the normal development of communication between people, because the fact that all speakers of a language know it is what makes them able to communicate with each other.
Speaks It is the verbal expression of language. It is a complex system whereby an idea becomes a set of sounds that have meaning for the person who listens to them. In speech, complex mental and physical mechanisms intervene
In the face of treatment, it is very important to know which aspect is the one that is altered, since it is not the same to work on communication, language, language and speech because the techniques to be used and the objectives will vary.
