Everyday language

How children learn everyday language

Before babies and young children use words in conversation, they communicate without words – their earliest communication is nonverbal. If you have been observing the ways your baby makes nonverbal demands, you will already be aware of how much they are telling you without words!

Nonverbal communication gives all parents a wonderful chance to relate to their babies and respond to their needs with words and actions. Children who can hear and whose parents talk to them soon begin to understand words that are most important to them, or ones that might be said more often like “no” or “hot.”

After a time, children with normal hearing begin to use a word or two. They will soon use a variety of single words. Later they will go on to put two words together, and then more. As their understanding grows, so will their ability to express themselves.

Your deaf child should follow these same stages of language development, but it will be at their own pace.

It takes two to communicate

Communication is an interactive process that takes place between at least two people. You and your child are part of that experience as you respond to each other, initiate conversations and communicate nonverbally. For your deaf child’s communication to improve, it is important to include them in this interactive process many times during the day.

Hearing aids only work when you wear them

Once your child has their hearing aids (and for some, cochlear implants) they must understand right away that wearing their aids or processors will be the expectation for increasing amounts of time throughout the day.

Your baby’s ability to learn to talk will be greatly enhanced if they use their technology consistently. We know that this can be hard to achieve but you must keep trying if your child is to get any benefit from them. We have already discussed this in a previous lesson (check the information on this page).

Keep everything in context

Remember, before your child can use words with real meaning, they must hear or see the words again and again in direct association with what the words represent. You can help your child learn new words by talking about the things that are going on around your child. For example, when you’re changing your baby’s nappy, say things like, “Let’s put on your nappy”. When you are feeding your baby you could say, “Here’s your bottle.”

Most babies learn to talk because they are talked to in meaningful situations like feeding, changing, dressing and playing. Children must want to communicate before they learn language. We must provide children with opportunities to initiate conversations nonverbally and verbally.

Be patient – it will take a little longer

Children learn to talk when they have been involved in conversations for many months, beginning almost at the moment of birth.

Babies with normal hearing usually have a year to a year and a half of listening practice before saying a single word. Deaf children take longer to acquire understanding of words (receptive language) and need much more practice.

Your child’s “hearing age”

You may hear some professionals talking in terms of your child’s “hearing age”. This relates to the age that your child received their hearing aids and is wearing them consistently, and for long enough, for them to benefit from them.

This might help you to understand that the length of time they have had access to good sound is just as relevant and important to their language development as how old they are!

Helping your baby learn to listen and speak

Learning to listen and speak follows a well-documented path of development, which involves hearing, listening and gaining control of how to make speech sounds.

How children’s language develops

You may be surprised to learn that spoken language doesn’t develop in a step-by-step manner. The stages can run together, with some stages overlapping and occurring at the same time. The following list indicates a basic progression of how language begins to develop.  Remember, the stages are fluid.  One may flow right into another.

1. Cries to indicate wants and needs.
2. Coos, smiles, and laughs.
3. Uses nonverbal communication behaviours (gesturing, using facial expressions, pointing, tugging, reaching).
4. Takes turns during activities.
5. Vocalizes.
6. Combines vocalizations with gestures and pointing.
7. Babbles and ‘jargon’ (jargon is babble with meaningful intonation).
8. Understands first words.
9. Attempts approximations of first words (“mmm” for “mama,” ; “ba” for “bottle”).
10. Uses single words spontaneously.
11. Puts two words together (“Want milk” or “Go bye-bye”).

How To Attract Your Baby’s Attention

So the first step in this process is for you to gain your baby’s attention for communication. You need to begin having ‘conversations’ – talking to your baby and looking expectantly for them to ‘talk’ to you. For example, if you are going to play with a favourite toy, you need to:

• Begin to play with the toy.
• Look directly at the toy and then look directly at your baby.
• Talk about the toy, using rich intonation and varying the tone of your voice.
• Imitate any vocalisations your baby makes.
• Use lots of facial expression.

Pay close attention to how your child responds when you get their attention and play with them. When your baby responds, comment about each response as it happens.

Crying, screaming and fretting, alongside laughter, coos, gurgles and chuckles are your baby’s way of telling you something and communicating their thoughts or needs. Try to understand what your baby is saying. Then you can respond with words as you meet their needs for physical care and comforting. They are communicating with you by vocalising!

Early in infancy, babies who can hear take in some of the everyday conversations that goes on around them.  A profoundly deaf baby may be less aware of the conversation that goes on around them in the beginning, but they can catch-up with good, consistent use of hearing aids/cochlear implants.

Your baby might be more aware of some of the talking if it is directed closely to them. Because of their deafness, words must be spoken within closer range for your baby to have any chance of detecting the words. You should expose your baby to a flow of language as people around them talk. Use a voice that is full of intonation and expression. Most visual cues, such as facial expressions, are more easy for your baby to see close up, too.

Remember: Get close; Get their attention; Be natural, but animated.