Baby's First Words: Language Development and Communication

November 24, 2023

Baby's First Words: Language Development and Communication

When to Expect Your Baby's First Words: Pre-Speech Stages Responding to Sounds Smiling and Cooing Imitating Sounds: Babbling First Words Vocabulary Building Word Combinations What are your baby's first words and why? How to Encourage your baby's first words Is it better to speak "baby-ese" or "adult-ese"? Conclusions

The moment your newborn says his or her first words is undoubtedly one of the most exciting moments in your life as a parent. Understanding and supporting this important step in your little one’s language development is essential to establishing a solid foundation for future communication. In this article, we will explore the process of language acquisition in newborns and provide valuable tips on how to support their language development.

When to Expect Your Baby's First Words: Stages

Most babies say their first words around 12-18 months of age, but it is important to note that timing can vary. Some babies start speaking earlier, while others may take longer. Every baby is a unique individual, so it is crucial to avoid comparisons and respect individual developmental times.

Preliminaries to the Word

In the first few months of life, newborns begin to make sounds and vocalizations . These may include warbling, chirping, and other guttural sounds. This stage is important for developing the vocal skills and coordination needed for speech production.

Response to Sounds

Around 2-3 months , babies begin to respond to sounds in their environment. They may turn toward their parents' voices or show interest when they hear familiar sounds.

Smiles and Cooing

Between 3 and 6 months , many infants begin to smile in response to voices and make " cooing " sounds more consciously. This is a sign of social interaction and developing sound production skills.

Imitation of Sounds: Babbling

Around 6-9 months , some babies begin to imitate sounds and vocalizations . This is precisely the period in which infant babbling begins. In fact, babies try to repeat the sounds they hear, taking an important step towards the intentional production of sounds and words.

First Words

Between 9 and 12 months , many babies say their first real words . They usually start with simple, familiar words, such as "mommy," "daddy," or "hello." This period marks a significant milestone in language development.

Vocabulary Increase

After the first year , a baby's vocabulary begins to grow rapidly. They begin to learn and pronounce increasingly complex words and understand the meaning of a variety of words.

Combination of Words

Around the age of 18 to 24 months , many children begin to combine two or more words to form simple sentences. This stage marks an important step toward developing more complex sentences and more structured communication.

It is important to note that these milestones are general and that there is a wide variability in individual developmental times. Some children may reach these milestones earlier or later than the average, and this is considered normal. Frequent interaction, reading, and conversation with your child are effective ways to support their language development at each stage. If you have concerns about language delays, it is always advisable to consult a professional such as a pediatrician or pediatric speech therapist.

Developing your baby's language through reading

What are a newborn's first words and why?

A newborn's first words vary greatly from child to child, and there is no specific sequence of words that all newborns follow. However, many times, the first words spoken by a newborn are related to their environment and the people around them. Usually the first word spoken is mom , but not because the baby has a preference. In fact, according to Heather Goad, associate professor of linguistics at McGill University in Montreal, the word mom is very easy to produce because it requires minimal effort: just close and open the mouth. The P sound, to say dad, instead involves both lips and is a vocalization that is acquired by the child from the age of one year onwards.

How to Encourage Your Newborn's First Words

To encourage the newborn's language and first words, it is important to implement some practices from the first days of the baby's life:

Communicate with your newborn : Talk to your baby from the first days. Even if he doesn't seem to understand, your voice is reassuring and contributes to language development.
Daily Reading : Reading stories to your newborn stimulates his brain and introduces him to the world of words. Choose books with bright pictures and simple texts.
Play with sounds : Babies love to hear different intonations and tones. Make fun, repetitive noises to get their attention.
Respond to vocalizations : When your newborn vocalizes or attempts to say words, respond enthusiastically. This will further encourage their desire to communicate.
Introduce new words : Gradually introduce new words into your child’s vocabulary. Repeat often and connect words to their meanings through gestures and actions.

Is it better to speak “bambinese” or “adultese”?

The choice between speaking " babyese " or " adultese " to a child depends on several factors, including the child's age, level of language development, and specific situations. Typically, it is best to adapt your communication style to the child's needs.

It is important that speech is correct to teach the right sounds to the child , but it is also useful and correct to communicate with simpler sentences, an affectionate tone of voice, and the use of animated facial expressions. In fact, this type of language is more suited to the level of understanding of a young child and can contribute to the development of their linguistic skills.

As your child grows and develops more advanced language skills, you can begin a gradual transition to a more vocabulary-rich, sentence-based communication style . This can help expand their vocabulary and provide a model for more complete sentence structures. The important thing is not to overdo the complexity, or your child will lose interest in the conversation.

Regardless of the communication style you choose, it is essential to encourage a two-way conversation. In fact, listening to the child's responses, asking open-ended questions and creating an open communication environment will favor his language development .

Conclusions

A newborn's first words are an exciting milestone. Communication is a fundamental pillar of all our actions, from the conception of a thought to its implementation. We are genetically predisposed to develop it, but not all children develop it to the best of their ability! This is why it is important to encourage the little one's language as much as possible with the right advice and simple practical strategies that you will find in the video course "Language Development" by pediatric speech therapist Dana dall'Ariccia . In the lessons, you will be able to discover the linguistic and communicative stages that children reach in each age group and learn the fundamental strategies to encourage the best linguistic and communicative development of your child, month after month.

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