Expressive Language

Caroline Bowen, Ph.D., a renowned speech language pathologist stated, “language acquisition is partly innate and partly learned, as children interact with other people and the environment” (1998).

Babies first communicate their needs and desires by relying on their almost instinctual cries and movements. From there, they move on to more intentional types of communication, such as gestures, different vocal sounds, and facial expressions. Although language may imply talking verbally, this isn’t always the case. Expressive language can be signing, gesturing, writing, or communicating via technological assistance. Regardless of the form, all language uses a mental system to produce and interpret meaning from a culturally common set of verbal, written, or gestured symbols and rules.

Learn more about communication in Expressive Language in Early Childhood on ChildCareTraining.org.

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