Baby Talk

My grandson, Harrison, just celebrated his first birthday, and it has been fascinating to watch him develop, physically and mentally. As a communicator, I am most curious about how he acquires language. Of course, there have been thousands of studies on the subject, so I am not going to make any new discoveries here. Suffice it to say that language is a unique and complex human trait.

Language comes from interaction. According to the Linguistic Society of America, “Children who are never spoken to will not acquire language. And the language must be used for interaction with the child; for example, a child who regularly hears language on the TV or radio but nowhere else will not learn to talk.” I find that fascinating. Another strike against using the TV as babysitter. (Of course, it begs the question: who did they test this on?)

“Baby talk” is a unique form of language that adults use with children (and, sometimes, with animals). It seems to be built into us, and it is thought to be designed to lead children on as they learn the structure and sound of the spoken language – just a little ahead of their own development.

There is no shortage of non-verbal communication with babies, either. Harrison often points to something that he wants – a toy, food, his mother. Whether it is accompanied by a sound or not, the meaning is clear. But it doesn’t stop there. It has become increasingly popular in early childhood education to teach children American sign language, the technique often used by the deaf. Some kids take to this remarkably well. And any fears that using sign language or other non-verbal communication will delay actual spoken language acquisition appear to be unfounded. In fact, encouraging any form of communication is a positive thing in language development for children.

One of the constant worries of any new parent is whether a child is developing “normally.” Here, I have a little experience. As the father of six, I can say that no child is normal – that is to say, typical. With all of those genes and cells and environmental inputs, how could you expect any one child to develop in the same way as another? Language is a particular case in point. I know I’m a grandfather, so I can indulge the luxury of not worrying. I’m just going to enjoy the show!