What Influences Language Development?
From a study carried out taking into account the factors that influence language development. Judith Johnston, PhD from the University of British Columbia (Canada) published a study entitled: “Factors that affect language development.”
In her study, the doctor confirms that learning to speak is one of the most important achievements of early childhood.
On the other hand, Johnston points out that language development reflects the interaction of factors from (at least five) domains that are social, perceptual, cognitive, conceptual and linguistic processing.
In addition to his contribution, there is a large body of research that ensures that language learning and development is influenced by many aspects of human experience and capacity.
For its part, and specifically, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, ensures that there are four factors that decisively influence the development of language:
- Heredity –genetics–
- The family –direct environment–
- The social environment -external factors-
- Schooling
Aspects that mark the development of language
Children learn to speak progressively. However, there are ages when they are able to achieve certain milestones, for example:
- When he is just a baby it is natural for him to be startled by noises and find out where they are coming from. This occurs through auditory stimulation. So, the functioning of the ear is a fundamental aspect for the development of the language.A baby of less than 9 months already babbles and he has also already learned to say pa-pa, ma-ma and join others sounds . These babbling increases between 12 and 15 months of age, when the baby has already acquired the ability to imitate some sounds and words. At that age, he is also able to understand simple commands.
- From 18 to 24 months he already has a vocabulary that ranges between 20 and 50 words.
Pediatric experts say that a child of 2 to 3 years of age already says sentences of three to five words. And he understands everything he talks quite well. At the age of two, he begins to combine words and is able to point to parts of his body and common objects, as well as following two-step instructions such as: Take the toy and give it to me.
From this point on, the baby already understands what it is to be on the table and below, for example. He also understands some verbs and can understand much of his speech.
When to worry?
Each child develops at his own pace, however there are certain parameters to take care of. Take your child under 1 year of age to a specialist if he does not respond to sounds or vocalize. You should also do this if he does not use gestures or points, or does not say goodbye at 12 months.
Another aspect of care is to realize that at 18 months you prefer to use gestures than to speak. It can be worrying that the baby does not imitate sounds. Y also yes to the 2 years of age is not able to say words or phrases, or if he does not repeat sounds or use language to communicate.
The Spanish Association of Pediatrics (Aeped) recommends that you take your child to a specialist if he cannot understand simple instructions, has a strange voice or if it is more difficult to understand him than other children his age.
A problem taken care of in time can save future complications.
How to promote language development
The environment where your child develops is decisive in language development. For this reason, from birth, it must be positively stimulated so that it learns to express itself correctly and fluently.
It is essential to spend time with the child to communicate with him. Since he is a baby, you can read him stories, sing songs and play games for him to acquire language tools. It is also important to use correct language, which implies good articulation of words and good use of vocabulary.
Speaking to him in a simple, direct and slow way is another tool that helps your child develop his language. That helps you because you will be able to imitate what you hear.
