What is Oral Language?

Oral language is often associated with vocabulary as the main component. However, in the broadest
definition, oral language consists of phonology, grammar, morphology, vocabulary, discourse, and
pragmatics. The acquisition of these skills often begins at a young age, before students begin focusing
on print-based concepts such as sound-symbol correspondence and decoding. Because these skills are
often developed early in life, children with limited oral language ability at the time they enter
kindergarten are typically at a distinct disadvantage (Fielding et al., 2007).

Oral language comprises the following six areas:

Phonology: The broad definition of phonology includes the organization or system of sounds within a
language. Once the phonological system has been acquired for basic listening and speaking, children
begin to develop phonological awareness—the awareness of words in sentences or syllables in words.
Other aspects of phonological awareness include rhyme, alliteration, onset rime (word families),
blending, segmenting, and manipulating sounds. At the most complex level of phonological
awareness is phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is blending, segmenting, and manipulating
words at the individual sound (phoneme) level.

Vocabulary (Semantics): The development of vocabulary focuses both on expressive vocabulary and
receptive vocabulary. Expressive vocabulary represents the words a student actively uses when
talking, writing, or communicating. Receptive vocabulary represents the words that a student
understands—based on context and background experiences—but may not necessarily use in his or
her own speaking or writing. A common misconception regarding vocabulary is the idea that an
individual’s vocabulary can be measured simply by the sheer number of words he or she can
understand and use. This is the breadth of vocabulary knowledge. However, to measure the depth of
vocabulary knowledge, a broader definition also includes a focus on areas such as multiple meanings
of words (homonyms), shades of meaning, figurative language, and relationships between words
(synonyms, antonyms, analogies).

Grammar (Syntax): As children develop their oral language skills, they also develop an understanding
of grammar—the set of structural rules that govern the combination of words and phrases into
sentences—and how sentences are combined into paragraphs.

Morphology: Sometimes considered to be a subset of syntax or vocabulary (semantics), morphology

is focused on the smallest units of meaning within a word and the rules about how those words are
formed. For example, if one examined the word “cats,” a basic analysis would show there are four
phonemes (/k/, /a/, /t/ and /s/). However, the word “cats” only has two morphemes (meaningful word
parts). “Cat” is a feline animal, and “s” tells us that there is more than one cat. Morphology can also
include the study of structural analysis—how words are joined together and build vocabulary by
analyzing the morphological structure of the word (prefix, root and suffix)—which helps build upon
the child’s foundation in vocabulary.

Pragmatics: Considered by some reading experts as the “hidden curriculum” in a classroom,

pragmatics requires the understanding of the social use of language. This includes social norms
regarding conversational turn-taking, personal space, and appropriate behavior with peers and
authority figures in a variety of common social situations. In some classroom settings, students
lacking background experience—attributable to cultural differences in some instances—don’t
understand group dynamics and expectations regarding behavior. Understanding a variety of
situations prepares students for more successful comprehension at later stages, including both
listening and reading comprehension.

Discourse: Oral and written communication, also known as discourse, is a critical skill. For example,
narrative storytelling follows a very specific format—beginning, middle, and end. These parts
describe the main characters, the setting in which they live, the conflict, and the resolution. An
understanding of story structure is essential in order to read, understand, and write narrative. In
contrast, consider the structure of expository, or informational, text. These forms of writing also
follow certain structures such as: persuasive, cause and effect, compare and contrast, and procedural.
It is critically important that students understand these structures through listening comprehension
before they begin to focus on reading comprehension. They first need to be able to understand and tell
stories in those formats before they can begin to write those kinds of stories.

When and how language is learned

Almost all children learn the rules of their language at an early age through use, and over time,
without formal instruction. Thus one source for learning must be genetic. Humans beings are born to
speak; they have an innate gift for figuring out the rules of the language used in their environment.

The environment itself is also a significant factor. Children learn the specific variety of language
(dialect) that the important people around them speak.

Children do not, however, learn only by imitating those around them. We know that children work
through linguistic rules on their own because they use forms that adults never use, such as "I goed
there before" or "I see your feets." Children eventually learn the conventional forms, went and feet, as
they sort out for themselves the exceptions to the rules of English syntax.

As with learning to walk, learning to talk requires time for development and practice in everyday
situations. Constant correction of a child's speech is usually unproductive.

Children seem born not just to speak, but also to interact socially. Even before they use words, they
use cries and gestures to convey meaning; they often understand the meanings that others convey. The
point of learning language and interacting socially, then, is not to master rules, but to make
connections with other people and to make sense of experiences (Wells, 1986).

In summary, language occurs through an interaction among genes (which hold innate tendencies to
communicate and be sociable), environment, and the child's own thinking abilities.

When children develop abilities is always a difficult question to answer. In general…

Children say their first words between 12 and 18 months of age.
They begin to use complex sentences by the age of 4 to 4 1/2 years.
By the time they start kindergarten, children know most of the fundamentals of their language, so that
they are able to converse easily with someone who speaks as they do (that is, in their dialect).
As with other aspects of development, language acquisition is not predictable. One child may say her
first word at 10 months, another at 20 months. One child may use complex sentences at 5 1/2 years,
another at 3 years.

What is the Role of Oral Language in Reading?

Children with a history of oral language impairment are more likely to present with reading
difficulties than their peers (general population). Some research identified this increased likelihood to
be as great as four to five times more likely than their peers (Catts, Fey, Zhang, & Tomblin, 2001). It
has been shown that children who struggle with phonemic awareness have significant difficulty
acquiring phonic word-attack strategies. There is also evidence that a child’s level of vocabulary
significantly impacts reading development, but there has been debate in the research over whether or
not it is only vocabulary or if reading acquisition is affected by all of the oral language components
mentioned above. A recent study of reading comprehension found that both reading accuracy as well
as oral language skills, beyond just vocabulary, predict performance on outcome measures. Another
question studied in the research is, “Which components of reading does oral language impact?”
Evidence exists linking oral language to the word recognition aspects of reading and/or the
comprehension aspects of the reading model. It is important to consider that “not only are oral
language skills linked to the code-related skills that help word reading to develop, but they also
provide the foundation for the development of the more advanced language skills needed for
comprehension”.

Role of oral language in reading and writing

As with learning any other skill, learning to talk requires time and everyday practice and children
mimic not only the actual words adults around them use, but also the way in which they are used.
This means that when significant adults in a child’s life pronounces words incorrectly, or uses
improper grammar, this is the kind of language the child will also use.
There are four main ways oral language development can prepare children for reading and
writing.
 Oral language develops vocabulary concepts. Children gain information about word
meanings and pronunciation and these concepts are first introduced in speaking and
understanding others’ speech.
 Children learn through oral language the structure of language and that it communicates
meaning. Children who can articulate their words and thoughts clearly have an advantage in
learning to read over those children who have poor oral language skills.
 Oral language teaches children cultural nuances, giving them specific background knowledge
that aides in reading comprehension.
 Oral language acquisition builds a desire to use language for a variety of purposes, such as
reading, wiring and listening.

Parents and caregivers play an important role in a child’s oral language development. They can
impact how quickly and how well oral language can develop. Following are some ways in which
parents and caregivers can nurture language development.

 Treat children as though they are conversationalists. Listen carefully to what your child is
saying and respond with appropriate and sincere thoughts that encourage more dialogue.
 Encourage your child to interact with other children. Peer learning, especially in mixed aged
play groups, can be a valuable experience for young children still gaining language skills.
 Remember that as a parent or caregiver you can reinforce good habits of speech, so model for
your child appropriate language, including expression, grammar, and vocabulary.
 Read to your child, at length and at frequent intervals.
 Help your child recognize the relationship between speech and writing by encouraging
storytelling, both orally and in written form.

Nurturing language development

Parents and caregivers need to remember that language in the great majority of individuals develops
very efficiently. Adults should try not to focus on "problems," such as the inability to pronounce
words as adults do (for example, when children pronounce r's like w's). Most children naturally
outgrow such things, which are a tiny segment of the child's total repertoire of language.
However, if a child appears not to hear what others say to her; if family members and those closest to
her find her difficult to understand; or if she is noticeably different in her communicative abilities
from those in her age range, adults may want to seek advice from specialists in children's speech,
language and hearing.

Teachers can help sustain natural language development by providing environments full of language
development opportunities. Here are some general guidelines for teachers, parents, and other
caregivers:
 Understand that every child's language or dialect is worthy of respect as a valid system for
communication. It reflects the identities, values, and experiences of the child's family and
community.
 Treat children as if they are conversationalists, even if they are not yet talking. Children learn
very early about how conversations work (taking turns, looking attentively, using facial
experiences with conversing adults.
 Encourage interaction among children. Peer learning is an important part of language
development, especially in mixed-age groups. Activities involving a wide range of materials
should promote talk. There should be a balance between individual activities and those that
nurture collaboration and discussion, such as dramatic play, block-building, book-sharing, or
carpentry.
 Remember that parents, caregivers, teachers, and guardians are the chief resources in
language development. Children learn much from each other, but adults are the main
conversationalists, questioners, listeners, responders, and sustainers of language development
and growth in the child-care center or classroom.
 Continue to encourage interaction as children come to understand written language. Children
in the primary grades can keep developing oral abilities and skills by consulting with each
other, raising questions, and providing information in varied situations. Every area of the
curriculum is enhanced through language, so that classrooms full of active learners are hardly
ever silent.