Perhaps no other event of the early years has received as much attention and acclaim as the onset of speech. Philosophers and theologians have emphasized its significance for separating humans from the lesser species. Psychologists and educators have pointed out its importance not only for communication, but for the development of higher mental abilities as well; and, of course, mothers and fathers throughout history have anxiously awaited the utterance of their child's first words. Yet, despite all this, the fact is that nobody has ever figured out how to teach a baby to talk.
That does not men, however, that we know nothing about enhancing language development during infancy and toddlerhood. While the process of inducing the initial production of speech remains something of a mystery, researchers have learned that it is relatively non-critical. Some children who eventually exhibit superb language skills start speaking a word or two at seven or eight months of age; but some remain relatively silent until they are almost two-years-old (at which time they often start speaking in complete sentences).
On the other hand, it is clear that all such children begin to UNDERSTAND some words sometime between the sixth and seventh month; and parents who focus on this early "receptive" capacity along with the later "expressive" components can do a lot to insure that their children will experience optimal linguistic progress.
Researchers also have discovered that what children require in this regard is remarkably easy to provide. By maintaining adequate awareness and following a few basic strategies, most mothers and fathers can see to it that their children will emerge from the early years with first-rate language skills.
It may be rather difficult to stay completely calm about this subject, especially if the children of your relatives and friends starting talking a mile a minute while your baby remains largely silent as the months go by. If your child passes her second birthday without speaking at all, it may be the case that she has an unusual problem and should be checked by a specialist.
However, as long as there is no obvious cause for concern, the best policy is to just relax and pursue some of the following simple language-enhancing practices. Before you know it, your baby will be using words, too – and using them well.
