Acquiring language is a natural learning process for children. Here are some things that you can do to start your baby’s language development.
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What is language development?
The acquisition of language is a natural learning process for children. This happens as they interact with people and things in their environment. The process is gradual and comes at different paces for every child.
The first five years of life are when developmental foundations are built. It is, therefore, the most critical window for language development. The way you interact with your child during this period will determine how he will develop his language skills.
Language is divided into two major aspects – receptive and expressive. Receptive language is the ability to listen and understand language while expressive language is being able to speak and convey messages. Your child should develop both these aspects well in order to be a good communicator.
The stages of language development
Taken from Caroline Bowen’s Ages and Stages: Developmental milestones for receptive and expressive language development, the stages of language development are divided into the following:
Birth
Babies are aware of sounds in their environment, though they are still unfamiliar with most of the sounds that they hear. To express their feelings, they will make some sounds, including a lot of crying.
0-3 Months
Babies start to respond to familiar voices and closely listen to anything that they are not familiar with. To express delight at seeing their parents or anyone familiar, they smile or make a ‘goo-goo’ sound. It is possible to differentiate babies’ cries at this age.
4-6 Months
They start to respond to the word “no” and seem to be fascinated by other sounds such as music, the ‘whirr’ of electric appliances, and animal sounds. At this time, babies can now open their throats and make gurgling sounds. They are most likely able to sound out consonants such as m, b, and p.
7-12 Months
At this age, babies are already familiar with their names and actually look for the one who has called them. They start to respond to questions and requests at this stage too.
The names of common household objects are already familiar to them and can point at them when asked. This is the time when babies are most likely to say their first word, as they are now able to combine vowel and consonant sounds.
11-month and 12-month old language and motor skills development
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At this age, parents are worried about their babies’ development when it comes to language, motor skills, and others.
Milestones such as movement, language development, and good motor skills continue to be the focus in this month-old period. So, mommies, we should expect that your babies can be more mobile and communicative.
Dr. Fish, as annotated by the VeryWellFamily, determines that the mobility and communicative ways of a baby at this time of age may be more visible. In addition, she said, whether they are walking, crawling, or cruising independently, they must get from point A to point B.
Your baby, also, is now communicating in many different approaches. They may exhibit pointing, grunting, nodding, waving, and even trying to talk to you.
Over the past-month-old ages, your baby has learned to express emotions such as caution and fear. Your baby can be also aware of their needs, and they can let you know what they want.
11-month old language development
At 11 months old, your baby should like be communicating, or having some sort of language development in various ways. Aside from speaking or articulating one or two words, using their hand as a gesture while communicating can be also more evident.
But, don’t worry if you may find your baby doesn’t quite have a few words yet. In time, they will get in there. While working on their language development, they are also on the work of their motor skills.
12-month old language development
Also, after the 11 month age period, it can be another milestone for your baby in terms of language development. By the end of 12 months, your child might have the following language development:
- try imitating speech sounds
- saying or articulating a few words like dada, mama, and uh-oh
- understand simple or definite instructions such as come here
- recognizing words for usual and common stuff like shoes, plate, water
- turning and looking in the direction of the sound source
Stimulating language development
Every child is unique and develops at his own pace. Try not to compare your child with other children as this can only cause undue stress and unnecessary pressure on your child.
The milestones enumerated above are just general ideas and should not be interpreted rigidly. Remember that some children can stay in one stage longer than others, while some may go through each stage very quickly.
Instead of stressing yourself out, check out the following guide to help you jump-start your baby’s language development:
1. Integrate language learning and development in your baby’s daily activities
As a parent, it is definitely exciting and challenging for you to help develop your baby’s language development. Your role is very important, as you are your baby’s constant companion. So, what do you do?
When your baby coos as you are changing his diaper, say something in return. This will help him get the idea that the sounds that come out of his or her mouth can catch mommy’s or daddy’s attention.
Studies show that children who responded to when they made sounds as babies had better cognitive skills when they were older.
2. Interact with your child as often as possible
According to studies, babies that are exposed to television learn six words less than their non-tv-viewing counterparts. Parents are advised not to let their children watch any television at all from ages 0 to 2.
Instead of plopping your baby in front of the television, find enjoyment in interacting with him. As you do things for him, pretend like you’re talking to an adult and explain what you’re doing in detail. Try to make communicating really fun and meaningful for your baby.
3. Talk to your baby the way he wants you to
You may think that talking in a high-pitched voice is silly, but experts say that this way of talking is actually beneficial for babies. Stretching out the sounds of each syllable helps babies become sensitive to individual letter sounds. This makes their auditory facilities more discerning. So start using that singsong intonation when talking to your baby.
Babies also need to see their lips move when somebody is talking to them. Before your baby can understand any word that you’re saying, he first needs to learn and see when one word ends and another one begins.
4. Help your baby learn the names of things
Object labeling is one important practice that parents can use to help their child’s language development. Parents can point to an object while saying, “This is ______.” Make sure that you are really pointing to the object you are naming so your baby can associate the right label with it.
While labeling things for your child, use exaggerated motions to attract his attention and make the experience, not just auditory but visual as well.
5. Allow your baby to interact with other people
It is definitely tempting to keep your baby to yourself, but experts say that babies learn words easily if they are exposed to a variety of speakers. Researchers discovered that learning a new word becomes easier for babies when they hear it from different people.
You don’t have to wait for those ‘special moments’ to start helping your baby develop his language skill. Each moment that you spend with him is a ‘teachable moment’.
Constantly talking to and interacting with your baby will go a long way in jumpstarting his language development. Forget the educational videos that promise to have your child talking in no time at all. What he needs is a real, live person taking the time to talk to him and teach him about the world. And that person is you.
Image from Image by senivpetro on Freepik
When to be concerned about baby development
Consult your family pediatrician or doctor if you notice any concerns that your 11 month old baby or 12 month old baby has with any of the following issues.
Seeing and hearing
Your baby is of concern if:
- is not making eye contact with you, is not following objects with their eyes, or has an eye that is turned in or out often
- is not interested in any sounds from the surrounding
- does not respond to their name if called
Communicating
Your baby has a potential problem if:
- not babbling at all
- is not trying to let you know what they want in ways of body language, sounds, or words
- they do not point to objects or pictures or use gestures like waving the hand
Behavior and play
Your baby does not show any emotions such as joy or sadness.
Movement and motor skills
Your baby is not crawling or uses one hand more often than the other.
Always be attentive to your baby’s needs and development, as it may be difficult for them to learn new development such as language without any guidance.
Additional information by Nathanielle Torre