Language development is a long and continuous process, which, unfortunately, is not limited to a few language lessons. Already in the first second of life, the baby begins to make various sounds. It can be said that these are the first rudiments of language development. In the first months, babies develop their future language by listening, later by trying to imitate adults, and even later by trying to repeat similar sounds. It is difficult to say when a child begins to speak in coherent sentences. The language development of some is very early, others are slower. However,gi, you can expect the first words to come out of your child's mouth as early as 1012 months..
The first words
It is believed that girls start talking earlier. It's true that the time gap is not so big, just a few weeks apart. From around the second month, babies are experimenting and trying to figure out what else they can do with their mouths besides feeding and drooling. Even in infancy, babies begin to speak in a language they understand, in other words to coo. At the age of a little more than half a year, babies try to intonate with indistinct sounds, to imitate the speech of adults. Later, about 9-12 months. you can expect the formerųjų mom, gaga, aunt, dadcompounds. Around 12 months, babies begin to say their first words. The first words, of course, are not from the scientific dictionary, they are extremely simple structures, often repeating sound formations, such asmom, mom, aunt, wowand so on. Later, children begin to speak in vowels meow, brum brum, au au, pee pee, cip cip,boom in other words, what you hear in the environment. The next stage of language development is conscious linking of words. At this stage, the child begins to speak not in single words, but in short compounds– I want mom, who is here, where is meow?. It is true that some compounds are not yet well coordinated with each other in inflections. In addition, after reaching this level of language, babies ask a lot about the world around them.
Slower language development in children
If your baby is a year old and still not talking, don't panic. Some children's language development is simply slower. There are also cases when a baby gives his first word to his parents at the age of one and a half years or later. However, if your child at this age has difficulty pronouncing even single sounds and it worries you, you can always contact a speech therapist and consult with your concerns.s.
What can lead to slower language development in children?
Slower language development in children can be caused by genetic diseases, trauma or negative experiences. Various early life traumas can delay language development just as much as birth trauma or maternal illness during pregnancy. In addition, slower language development can also be caused by growing up in a pair of twins, especially if one of the children is extremely talkative.
Children growing up in bilingual families start speaking later . And this is not a disorder! Imagine your child learning to associate concepts with objects in the first years of life. And if you double the number of concepts. If you call one thing by two names, it is natural that a child who hears a larger number of concepts will learn longer, put words together longer, sometimes mix them up. In addition, when bilingual children start speaking, they often mix languages, but there is no need to worry about this, because over time the words will fit into the necessary drawers of different languages.us.
Experts say that one of the causes of delayed speech is smartphonesi . It can often be noticed that children are occupied with various movies on their mobile phones while visiting, waiting in line at the doctor or in a cafe. And most of the time they don't understand the language. This method of calming the child may be good, but it has more disadvantages than advantages. One of the disadvantages is slower language development. Even videos dubbed in their native language will not help your child learn a language, because it needs a natural, living and changing environment, not a video on your phone..
Tips on how to help your child say his first words
To encourage your child's language development, you should do this long before hearing the first word. Children in the first years of lifeaccumulateswords, they become aware of them, and then, after saying the first words, they seem to explode when they see words that their parents did not even expect when they were taught. So, in order for your child to start speaking earlier and more fluently, you can help him in various ways even in infancy.
- Tell stories, read books. A natural story from the parents' mouth not only soothes, helps to fall asleep, but also teaches your baby who is only a few months old. If in the first months, children do not understand the story they are following, but they will hear the intonation, the mood created, which is one of the elements of language.ų.
- Gesture communication. Not only words, but also gestures can help your child speak better and understand words more accurately. If you are talking about a big teddy bear, try to show its size with gestures by saying ishow yourself by tapping the child with your finger..
- Stay positive. In any case, children are more receptive to information if it is presented in a positive way. When talking to your child, try to put aside the worries of the day and stay calm.
- Turn language into a game. Children absorb information much faster if it is presented in the form of a game.Toys for kids can help connect concepts to objects, and various word-learning flashcards or picture books can bring elements of play into the learning process.
