Communication, Language and Speech

Are they the same?

Oftentimes we use communication, language and speech interchangeably. We seemingly tend to forget to explore whether or not there are any distinctions among these three areas.  Provided that the three terms are relatable, it is quite challenging to differentiate the meaning of each of them. Nevertheless, it is still possible to distinguish the terms as each of them has its own unique role.

First, let’s define ” Communication”

When we talk about communication, we usually refer to the interaction, at least, between two people one of which acts as a sender of a message and the other is the receiver whose role is to plan or create responses.

Then we have language

Language refers to a set of symbols and rules used in communication to express our thoughts, perspectives and feelings in a particular language.

Last but not least, we have speech

Speech concerns with producing sounds in a language via oral or verbal expression. Speech consists of two main components: Phonology and Phonetics.

Is it necessary to distinguish these terms?

Knowing these terms allows you to distinguish whether someone has a communication, speech or language disability.