What aspect of language is primarily affected in children with specific language impairment?

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) predominantly show difficulties with grammatical aspects of language. This means they may struggle with understanding and using the rules that govern sentence structure, verb tenses, plurals, and other grammatical features that are essential for effective communication.

While other aspects of language such as pragmatics (the use of language in social contexts), semantics (the meaning of words and sentences), and phonology (the sound system of language) can also be impacted in children with SLI, grammar is often the most pronounced challenge. In many cases, these children may have a relatively preserved ability to understand conversational context or sound patterns, but their grammatical skills remain significantly underdeveloped compared to their peers. This highlights the central role that grammar plays in the broader framework of language development for children with specific language impairment.