Children learn language by listening to speech in the world around them. Children are born ready to produce sounds and words by hearing people speak words and sentences. Every time you speak to your child, you are modeling language and the rule system that makes up your language. Spending time with your child, playing and talking with your child will help encourage and facilitate her language development.
How Children Learn Language
Children's brains are wired to study the patterns of speech that they hear and discern the rules that are used by the people who are speaking. Children learn these rules and learn to apply them as they create their own speech. Harvard researcher John De Cuevas writes that, as your child adds words to his vocabulary, one of the first rules he will learn is how to apply plural and past tense to his words. He will then learn to apply this rule to new words and new situations, sometimes incorrectly, for example using "mouses" instead of the correct plural form, "mice." This is normal and you can help your child by gently repeating what your child has said, using the correct form of the word that was misspoken.
Language Progression
As your child's language progresses, she will work through several stages of speech. From birth to about one year, children are in the pre-language stage. At about three months of age, cooing and babble begins official language development. Children are also practicing their receptive language during this time. After pre-language your child will begin speaking in holophrases, or one-word phrases. Telegraphic speech, at around 18-22 months, is the development of two-word phrases. As your child moves from one- to two-word sentences, you can help encourage language growth by repeating back their words in a longer sentence. For example, if your child says "Book mama," you would interpret back to him, "You would like mama to read you a book?"
Building Conversation Skills
Interaction with others is the most important way that children learn language. The Daily Parent, a publication of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), reports that "It's the back and forth of talking with others that helps children not only talk, but learn how to use language socially." Talk to your child about what you are seeing, what you are doing, and how things feel. By talking with your child and interacting with your child, you are building language and social skills.
Reading and Language
According to the University of Michigan, "research has shown that the younger the age children were when their parents began reading aloud to them, the better the language skills the children had." Reading helps children match words with objects and introduces children to words and ideas that might not be used in normal play or interaction. As you read with your child, point to pictures and name what you see. As your child gets older, ask them to point to objects in the pictures.
Considerations
Children learn best from live speakers rather than recorded voices. Television and computers have their place, when combined with parental interaction. However, it is the interaction that is the key to language acquisition. Word drills and flash cards do not hold children's attention; the best way to teach your child about language is by interacting with her. Talk about things she is interested in. Play games and elaborate on your child's attempts at language. Make language and words a natural part of her life.
