Language delay is distinct from speech delay, in which the speech mechanism itself is the focus of delay.Oral communication is a two-stage process. The first stage is to encode the message into a set of words and sentence structures that convey the required meaning, i.e. into language.owever a child with a language delay typically has not yet been able to use language to formulate material to speak; he or she is therefore likely to have a delay in speech as well. Language delay is commonly divided into receptive and expressive categories.