"The limits of my language, define the limits of my world"

For those who may not know me, I’m Christina and I’m incredibly lucky to wear two hats. One hat being an education assistant at Landsdale Christian School (LCS), and the other being a final-year speech pathology student. Both roles shape how I view the importance of communication and how I use this passion to support students’ language development inside and outside of the classroom.

In schools, communication is the foundation of learning, connection and personal growth. When students can express themselves in their desired way and understand others clearly, they’re able to engage with the curriculum, build friendships and participate fully in school life as intended. 

There’s a quote by Wittgenstein that I often come back to: “The limits of my language define the limits of my world”. At LCS, we help expand that world by giving the students the language and communication tools they need to flourish in real-life settings - whether those tools help support speech, writing, Auslan or other multimodal forms of communication. 

Every moment of school is built on communication: asking questions, sharing ideas, negotiating friendships, solving problems, expressing emotions and participating in learning. When communication works well, students feel confident, connected with others and capable. When communication becomes difficult, everyday moments can become barriers instead of opportunities.

For some children, communication and language can naturally feel more difficult. This is common for children with learning difficulties. It is important to note that learning difficulties (whether it be Developmental Language Disorder, dyslexia, dysgraphia, or others) do not define who the child is or limit what they are able to achieve. Awareness of a learning difficulty helps identify the types of support a student needs to access learning in the way that works best for them. Whether this be by breaking up instructions/tasks into smaller pieces, working 1-on-1 with a teacher or education assistant (like me!) or providing extra processing time. These supports help remove barriers so that every learner can succeed. 

From the 23rd to the 29th of August, it’s Speech Pathology Week (visit Speech Pathology Australia here)! What a wonderful time to think about the gift God gives us to share our beliefs and spread His message - because communication goes beyond just talking. It’s the use of gestures to dramatise your message, or the look you put on your face to convey messages that go beyond words. It’s how we connect, learn, belong, choose, participate, thrive and grow.

I am incredibly excited to return to the amazing team at LCS once I finish my placement at Child Development Services. If you ever have any questions or concerns about your child’s language or your little one’s speech, please feel free to come find me on campus when I’m back - I’m always happy to chat! Reach out to Education Assistant Christina Nguyen via admin@lcs.wa.edu.au.