Baby Talk To Talking Baby
The uttering of the baby is what is called babbling, baby talk or twaddling. It looks as though that the babies make these sounds so as to prepare themselves to utter the sounds used for acquiring the language. However, they are not able to utter words that can be recognized. In the first year the larynx descends which allows the pharynx to develop to utter all the sounds that would be required to make up the speech. The baby begins to make noise when 5 to 7 months old. It is only when the infant is a year old that this baby talk transforms to recognizable words. Syllables are repeated by the baby. This is called reduplicative babbling. The baby begins to babble with a mix of syllables. This is called variegated babbling. Children usually babble much more when calm as compared to when they are excited or upset. The babies prepare themselves to speak the language with the basic sounds. Babbling is an innate response of babies as can be deduced by the fact that the deaf babies too.
From birth to about 4 months the babies coos and gurgles. When the baby is 4 to 6 months old, it starts babbling. This babbling continues to when the baby is a year or so old. Meaningful sound and words starts emerging between the age of 12 and18 months. Between 18 and 24 months the toddlers starts repeating words. Meaningful words begin to form then with the babbling. About 50 words or so is the vocabulary of the baby. But they are able to understand many more words than they are able to utter. Short sentence begin to form. But then they may not be able to use the words correctly. The progression of the baby is from crying to cooing and then progressing to vocal play. Canonical babbling follows which later becomes conversational babbling.
An effective means of communication that the babies use is the sign language. Babies often do not find the appropriate sound which gives them frustration. This can be avoided if they are also taught the sign language so that they can express themselves. Priscilla Dunstan proposed that universally there were only five words that babies use and each of them have a distinct meaning. She then released The Dunston Baby Language DVD in 2006 which teaches how these sounds can be recognized.
It will help the babies to develop if the babbling of the babies is responded by adults with babbling. Adding some simple adult speech to this will help the baby in developing vocabulary. The baby’s cognitive development too benefits. In the end anyway the baby will be able to speak the local language.