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Child Development & Early Education vocabulary · Language and Communication

Receptive language

Meaning in child development & early education, with examples

nounCommon term

In child development & early education, receptive language means: A child's ability to understand language: following instructions, understanding words and questions, and making sense of what other people say.

In Turkish: alıcı dil, dili anlama

How it is used

Used in assessments and speech and language reports, usually next to expressive language. Children's receptive language is normally ahead of their expressive language: they understand more words than they can say.

Example sentences

  1. His receptive language is good: he follows two-step instructions easily.

  2. The therapist assessed both receptive and expressive language.

Common collocations

  • receptive language skills
  • receptive vocabulary
  • follow instructions
  • assess receptive language
  • expressive languageA child's ability to use language to communicate, through words, sentences, gestures or signs, in order to ask for things, share ideas and describe events.
  • language developmentThe process by which children learn to understand and use language, from crying and babbling to words, sentences and conversation.
  • speech and language therapistA health professional who assesses and supports people, including young children, who have difficulties with speech, language, communication or swallowing.
  • child-directed speechThe way adults often talk to babies and young children, with a higher, more musical voice, simple words, short sentences and a lot of repetition.

More terms: Language and Communication

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