Oral language development starts in infancy, and it is the foundation for all learning. Language begins long before the child utters his first word. It really starts with crying. At first, crying is generalized such that there is no difference between a hunger cry and a cry for a diaper change. Gradually, crying becomes more purposeful, and this marks the beginning of language. In addition to crying to gain the attention of caregivers, babies use various vocal utterances and gestures to interact with adults.
Babies will vocalize from a very early age, and at first, they will simply make random sounds, but then they will begin to repeat certain sounds. Some early vocalizations may be directed at no one in particular, while others may be aimed at a particular person with an eye toward communication. Parents can entertain babies by imitating their vocalizations back to them. In addition, babies will vocalize more if they are talked to frequently.
Oral language is largely learned in the home. Talk to your baby from the moment he is born. Talk to him as though he understands you. When he is a young infant, it is okay to use “baby talk,” but once he is a bit older (3 months or so), abandon the baby talk unless you are engaging in “mirroring” behavior with him—that is, you are repeating sounds that he makes back to him.
Children who are talked to from a very young age speak sooner and have bigger vocabularies than do those children who are spoken to less frequently. In fact, speech, unlike walking, does not develop in the absence of the exposure to language. It has been found that 30 million more words are spoken to children in affluent homes as compared with their poorest counterparts. This “word gap” accounts for the difference in the vocabulary of affluent preschoolers as compared with preschoolers raised in poverty.
You may wonder what in the world you can talk to an infant about. The answer is that it doesn’t matter. You can recite the Gettysburg Address for all the difference it makes. The important thing is that you talk to your baby. Early on, I used to simply “narrate” what I was doing and why I was doing it. For example, “It’s time for your bath! Mommy is getting out the tub and the soap and the shampoo. Let’s put some nice warm water in the tub for you.”
Expect at least a few words during the first year and be alert to your child’s attempts to communicate. If you are attentive to the sounds your child makes in certain contexts, you may pick up on words as early as around 6 months of age. It is important to note that one word can take on multiple meanings depending upon context. My daughter, Miriam, used to say “mama” at around 6 months. I quickly learned that it not only meant “mother,” but it also meant “I’m hungry” and “Pick me up.” In thinking about it, it occurred to me that children may speak much sooner than we think that they do, it’s just that we are not conversant in their language.
Also, infants understand much more than they can express. One day, Miriam was in her high chair in the kitchen while Eric and I were cleaning up after dinner. At some point, one of us said, “one.” Immediately, Miriam chimed in, “two!” At first we thought that this had to be a coincidence. So we waited a few minutes and tried it again. One of us casually used the word “one” in a sentence. Again, Miriam said, “two.” Apparently, she had heard us counting with her older sister, she knew that “two” came after “one,” and she was trying to join in on the conversation.
Labeling emotions in your “narration” is also important to your child’s later ability to use words to help him think about his emotions. Starting when he is a baby gets you into the habit of doing it. You can say, for example, “You sure were hungry!” or, “You love your teddy, don’t you?” It’s that simple, and it’s critical for your baby’s language and emotional development for you to talk to him about his emotions.
If you’ve talked to him extensively, your baby’s early vocalizations will begin to resemble speech. Babies will often “talk” to themselves while in their crib awake before crying for someone to come and pick them up. Listen in with a baby monitor for your own entertainment.
Language development varies greatly in the first year. As children approach their first birthday, some speak only a few words, others have larger vocabularies and speak in one-word “sentences.” Still other children use more fully-formed sentences.
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