ABSTRACT
Language is also vital for the development of emotional literacy and the acquisition of social skills. It is the framework on which the control of behaviour is built, at first by adults, but increasingly by the child through self-directed internal language. Much of this learning takes place in the context of the family before the child ever reaches school, but it is an ongoing process throughout the school years. Children who cannot communicate effectively through spoken language will struggle to cope with the negotiations, explanations, and compromise essential for satisfactory social relationships. Faced with a playground dispute and no way of ‘talking it through’, how will they react? Unfortunately, their only means of expression may be aggression.
