Rather than constituting a problem for students and educators, the growing diversity in U.S. classrooms necessitates and encourages the development and use of diverse teaching strategies designed to respond to each student as an individual.
Damage to a discrete part of a the brain in the left frontal lobe (Brocaâs area) of the language-dominant hemisphere has been shown to significantly affect use of spontaneous speech and motor speech control. Words may be uttered very slowly and poorly articulated.
Language isn't centralized in one area of the brain - certain regions have certain tasks, such as motor function or comprehending spoken speech. And thus, if you cannot speak due to having malfunctioning vocal cords, it should leave your language comprehension intact. I even doubt if the area responsible for motor functions required for speech will be taken over by the rest of the brain, but I do not know this for sure.