Language is the foundation of all learning so developing strong skills early on is critical.
When discussing language promotion, the first step is to consider the environment. A quiet environment, where technology is switched off, creates opportunities for communication and allows the focus to be on the social interaction necessary for language development. This enables the modelling and mastery of the most basic of non-verbal communication skills – eye contact, pointing, gesture, and reading body language and cues – before even considering speech. It is important to remember a child’s receptive language (their understanding of language) is developing well before they can use formal expressive (spoken) language, but they will be able to express themselves in gestures, sounds, and expressions almost from the outset.
Through watching, listening and imitating, initiating communication and responding, children learn all about interaction. Quality time spent playing, reading, singing, sharing poems and rhymes, commenting, chatting, and telling stories builds positive relationships whilst promoting learning and development. These early days, prior to children starting school, provide the optimal ‘window of opportunity’ for language acquisition, and the social context of the home plays a very important role in this learning. Moreover, these early experiences influence a child’s later learning trajectory.
Whilst TV programmes, DVDs, and apps may make grand claims about how they support language development and learning, the reality is only a handful have been shown to have any positive impact. AAP guidelines continue to recommend no screen time for children under 18 months, limited shared watching of high-quality programmes for 18 – 24-month-olds (so that parents can explain that content), and a maximum of 1 hour a day for 2 – 5-year-olds (again co-viewed). Consistent limits should be placed on screen time for children aged 6 and up.
Language develops through interaction. Responsiveness to a baby’s earliest vocalisations (e.g. mimicking their babbles) is critical as they learn they can communicate, and this babble is associated with earlier production of more complex sounds. By 10 months of age, differences in the babble of babies from different countries can be discerned. Many variables in these early interactions influence outcomes (e.g. motivating their play, allowing a child’s independent activity, involvement in a joint activity, guiding and extending activities, providing reinforcement, emotional responsiveness, and demonstrating enjoyment in the interactions) with better outcomes for children who experience more attention, motivation, and responsiveness to their emotional states. That play skills and language development are closely linked is evident; before children can put ideas into words, they represent them through their symbolic play. This forms a precursor to language and is linked with later verbal comprehension skills.
Because the routines of turn-taking in conversations are very important in language development; it is important to have conversations with infants from the earliest stages. Be mindful turns can be taken by a gesture or expression and spoken words aren’t always necessary. As such, conversations happen long before children have words, but this 2-way interaction shows them they can communicate messages, and is thus motivational, and provides them with an opportunity to be exposed to new vocabulary.
In summary then, to create an environment for language promotion:
- Avail of all opportunities for social interaction;
- Avoid distractions by switching off technology;
- Respond to your baby’s vocalisations and take all opportunities to have conversations;
- Read, sing, chat with your child and comment on what they are doing, make up funny rhymes, and tell lots of stories;
- Encourage play (both independent and joint activities);
- Provide the child with lots of attention;
- Respond sensitively to a child’s emotional state;
- Demonstrate you are enjoying their company.
Remember time spent together in the earliest days is not only enjoyable – it lays a foundation for later language and learning success.
In the next post, we will look at specific techniques and ideas for developing communication through play and how our CardEd resources can be a useful tool in promoting language in the early years.