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How Kids Develop Language

on Wednesday, 03 April 2013. Posted in Toddler Tips, Baby Basics

Understand how your baby learns language and find out a child’s typical language development milestones.

How Kids Develop Language

When and how children learn language has always been a hot topic. The appearance of the long awaited first word can cause both relief and panic! As Ben Stiller’s character experiences in ‘Meet The Fockers!’ you say ‘that’ word once and sure enough it will be their first word, said in front of the disapproving in-laws!!

Whatever the first word is and whenever it happens, many questions will follow such as:

  • “Is that really a word?”
  • “Why did he/she say that word/?”
  • “Why didn’t he/she say mummy?”
  • How long will it be before he/she says another word?”

I feel at the beginning of this article I should stress that one should not put too much emphasis on the age at which children produce X number of words. Every child’s pace of development will vary. During the early years of their life, children never stop absorbing information and developing. They are never at a standstill even if progress is hardly perceptible at times. Therefore, although the aim of this article is to give a description of ‘typical’ language development please do not be alarmed if your child is developing at a different rate.

 

The Beginning

Babies tend to start producing meaningful noise at approximately 11 months. This noise is referred to as babbling. If your baby is between 6 -12 months it might be interesting for you to record some of their ‘babbling’ when they are either just about to go to sleep or just waking up. This may help you identify any patterns or developments. What might seem like random noise or whinging is actually the foundations for ‘talking’. Babies may pick up intonation and stress before any actual words, therefore, trying to listen to their intonation may help you work out if they are trying to copy a common word. At 16 months, many babies are moving from babbling to ‘words’. There is no sudden shift from ‘babbling’ to ‘talking’. Therefore, babbling and talking are not mutually exclusive

Trying to determine if a ‘first’ word is indeed a ‘real’ word can be quite a challenge and may be the cause of many arguments! First words can be called ‘proto words’ and are idiosyncratic to your child. Proto words cannot be classed as real words, like the ones found in your Oxford Dictionary. This is because a baby’s first ‘word’ may have many different meanings (e.g. noun, verb, adjective). A first ‘proto word’ may be /dee/, /uh/ or /ah ah/. Some literature has suggested that if the ‘word’ is said with a low pitch the child is labelling something, whereas if it said with a high pitch, the child is demanding something. A friend of mine was concerned that her 18 month old boy thought everything he saw was a dog. This was because his ‘proto’ word was /ah aaaaah/ and the first time he said it he was pointing to a dog.

 

How Your Baby Develops Language

Language does not progress in a linear fashion. It has a ‘U’ shaped developmental course. You may be thrilled that your child can say /mama/ perfectly, until you want them to say it on demand and it seems to have vanished. This is perfectly normal as children first learn by imitating; they then try to breakdown the word so that they can store it in their brain in their personal system. Therefore, they might, start to make a few errors both in pronunciation and grammar on previously accurate words.
 

What Do They Use Their Words For?

Babies are definitely creatures of the here and now; they function in the present. Their first words will therefore have something to do with their immediate environment and/or needs. Nouns are more tangible and concrete for young babies so they may attempt to name something relevant to them such as /bottle/ or /drink/. As they get slightly older (approximately 24 months) they may describe actions or states such as- /down/, /all gone/.

Although it is difficult to determine which words will be said and in what order, it is possible to describe how children will use their first words. At 24 months, babies may be attempting a two word combination. Even with just two words, your baby may be able to use them in approximately ten different ways, for example, /Mummy write/, /pasta hot/, /head hurt/.

 

Developmental Milestones

The following is a brief summary the typical language developmental milestones for children. It is by no means an exhaustive list. Generally, your baby should be moving up into the next age bracket before she/she masters most of the areas noted.

2 months:

  • Watches the speaker’s face.
  • Cries are differentiated by needs. Coos with vowel sounds.

 

4 to 6 months:

  • Localises to sound.
  • Vocalisation with intonation.

 

6 to 9 months:

  • Responds to name, voices by turning heads and eyes.
  • Recognises names of family members.
  • Responds to simple commands accompanied by a gesture.
  • Uses gesture for communication (pointing, reaching, waving hi/bye).
  • Responds appropriately to friendly and angry tones.
  • Imitates action (as in Peek-a-boo).
  • Babbles using early developmental consonants (i.e. b, m, w, d, n, g).

 

10 to 12 months:

  • May begin to use first words.
  • Understands simple instructions (i.e. Get your shoe).
  • Begins to point to some body parts following a command.
  • Gives objects to others upon verbal request.
  • Jargons with different sound combinations.

 

12 to 18 months:

  • Has vocabulary of approx. 5-20 words.
  • Can identify many objects and pictures following a verbal command.
  • Echolalia (repeating words/phrases over and over).
  • Jargon with emotion.
  • Follow commands easily.
  • Communicates with a combination of words and gestures.

 

18 to 24 months:

  • Understands concepts (adjectives, pronouns, plurals).
  • Can use at least 2 prepositions (in, on, under).
  • Combines words into short sentences: noun-verb.
  • Has vocabulary of approx. 150-300 words.
  • Rhythm and fluency is often poor.
  • Can use 2 pronouns correctly; I, me, you.
  • Tries to tell about experiences.
  • Begins to use more speech sounds such as fricatives (f, s, sh).

 

2 to 3 years:

  • Understands concepts (adjectives, pronouns, plurals).
  • Use pronouns I, you, me correctly.
  • Is using some plurals and past tenses.
  • Knows about three prepositions – in, on, under.
  • Knows some parts of the body.
  • Has approx. 900-1000 words.
  • Uses phrases and short sentences for communication.
  • Understands simple questions dealing with his environment and activities.
  • Should be able to give his sex, name and age on request.

 

3 to 4 years:

  • Knows names of familiar animals
  • Uses long and structurally complex sentences.
  • Can use at least four prepositions or can demonstrate his understanding of their meaning when given commands.
  • Names common objects.
  • Can repeat 4 digits.
  • Understand concepts such as longer and larger.
  • Tells stories and relates experiences from the past.

 

5 years:

  • Can use many descriptive words.
  • Knows common opposites.
  • Can count to 10.
  • Should be able to define common objects in terms of use.
  • Should have simple time concepts.
  • Should be using fairly long sentences.

 

For more information contact The Speech and Language Centre.

 

 

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