Language
Children acquire language by being immersed in an environment full of the sights and sounds of language. Learning to talk is something that happens gradually, through a combination of listening, imitation (copying), and experimentation. Children learn language in roughly the same order, following stages of development. It seems as though they learn by trial and error, working out their own set of 'rules' to follow. As they grow and mature, the 'rules' they learn are upgraded, which is why a child of 2 years will ask "Why you crying?"; at 2 years and 4 months will ask "Why you are crying?" and by 3 years, are asking "Why are you crying?". When children don't acquire the more mature language forms expected for their age, they need specialist intervention from a speech pathologist to explicitly teach them these rules.
Language development can be explained in terms of expressive language (how you use language) and receptive language (how you understand it). Usually, receptive language develops before expressive, so you will find that your child understands more than what they say.
Language development can be explained in terms of expressive language (how you use language) and receptive language (how you understand it). Usually, receptive language develops before expressive, so you will find that your child understands more than what they say.
Click on the links below for links to Speech Pathology Australia's Fact sheets regarding speech and language development:
When to seek help
If you have any concerns about your child's speech and/or language development, contact a speech pathologist to determine if they need to have an assessment. Click on the Contact tab in the navigation bar, or on the mail icon in the top right hand corner if you would like to contact Belinda at CommunicArt.
