Language and level speech. Plan: Introduction

The components of the descriptors
The descriptors are made up of five components: attention and listening; receptive language; expressive language; speech and interaction. Below is a brief explanation of these five components.

1. 
   Attention and listening
   

The ability to attend to information presented aurally and to sustain that attention for a length of time appropriate to age and developmental level

2. 
   Receptive language
   

The ability to understand the content of what is said (facts), its significance (indicated by tone of voice, body language etc) and possible subtleties of language (inference).

3. 
   Expressive language
   

The ability to choose the right words to communicate a message (content). The ability to use grammatical constructions – word order, word endings, verb tenses etc. (form). The ability to use language to perform a variety of purposes, such as greetings, describing, arguing etc. (function)

4. 
   Speech
   

The ability to use speech sounds to build up words, saying sounds accurately and in the right places. The ability to speak fluently, without hesitating, prolonging or repeating words or sounds. The ability to speak with expression and a clear voice, using pitch, volume and intonation to support meaning.

5.