Rule 6A-6.030121(1), F.A.C., specifies that a language impairment interferes with communication, adversely affects performance and/or functioning in the student’s typical learning environment, and results in the need for ESE. A language impairment is a disorder in one or more of the basic learning processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language. These include: • Phonology: the sound systems of a language and the linguistic conventions of a language that guide the sound selection and sound combinations used to convey meaning; • Morphology: the system that governs the internal structure of words and the construction of word forms; • Syntax: the system governing the order and combination of words to form sentences, and the relationships among the elements within a sentence; • Semantics: the system that governs the meanings of words and sentences; and • Pragmatics: the system that combines language components in functional and socially appropriate communication. A language impairment may manifest in significant difficulties affecting listening comprehension, oral expression, social interaction, reading, writing, or spelling. A language impairment is not primarily the result of factors related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or limited English proficiency.