Oral Language
Spoken language is the system by which we use spoken words to express ourselves. Information, thoughts and feelings. Developing spoken language means therefore. Developing the skills and knowledge needed to listen and speak. Which has a strong connection to reading comprehension and writing.
Strong oral language skills are fundamental to academic and literacy success. A strong oral language foundation helps children become good readers and communicators. These skills also boost a child’s confidence and overall sense of well-being.
The ability to effectively use spoken language affects all areas of a child’s life; their ability to learn in class, their relationships with others, and their academic success; to their sense of Strong oral language skills are fundamental to academic and literacy success.
A strong oral language foundation helps children become good readers and communicators. These skills also boost a child’s confidence and overall sense of well-being. The ability to effectively use spoken language affects all areas of a child’s life; their ability to learn in class, their relationships with others, and their academic success to their sense of self.
There is evidence that a decrease in spoken language ability can lead to mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety that can persist into adulthood. The development of these skills requires a rich language environment, which in turn creates a high-quality learning environment.
Research by Hart and Risley (1995) shows a strong correlation between the numbers of words a child is exposed to and the size of the vocabulary they develop:
- A three-year-old who hears more than 2,000 words an hour has a vocabulary of about 1,116 words.
- A three-year-old who hears only 600 words an hour has a vocabulary of only 525 words.
Spoken language is made up of six areas:
Phonology, grammar, morphology, vocabulary, speech and pragmatics. Acquiring these skills often begins at an early age, before students begin focusing on print-based concepts such as decoding and matching sounds with symbols. Strong oral language skills are fundamental to academic and literacy success. A strong oral language foundation helps children become good readers and communicators. These skills also boost a child’s confidence and overall sense of well-being.