The current understanding of the structure of language
processing distinguishes a set of component
linguistic functions: these include separable processes
related to speech sounds (phonological processing); to
the visual structure of written words (orthographic
processes); to the meaning of linguistic tokens (semantic
processing); to the structure of complex linguistic
forms (syntactic processing); to the integration of phonological,
semantic, and syntactic aspects of words (lexical
processing); and to the programming of speech
motor acts (articulatory processing).