Language is the base to all human developments. Thinking and communication is the root human activities that helped us to become social beings and also the driving force behind all discoveries and inventions. Though, babies are born with absolutely no language, they learn the art of talking gradually by listening to sound and imitating it. Good communication skills are essential for him/her to excel in academic learning and also to succeed in life.
Talking is a learned skill, not inborn or acquired. Parents are prime role models for kids to learn to talk. If certain training methods are applied, kids can be taught to speak well and communicate effectively. There are multiple methods to make infants learn sounds and understand the association between sound symbols and objects.
How do Children Start Talking?
Most of the kids start speaking, though unclear, at the age of two; certain kids get delayed for one or two years. Research have revealed that, though remain silent, infants sock up all the information into the memory of brain and burst into speaking when the organs of speech are strong enough and flexible enough to produce the sound symbols they have already learned by listening to elders.
The most common sounds infants produce at the initial stages would be 'mom' or 'dad', as these are the words parents mostly pronounce at the ears of a child. Though the child imitates the sounds spoken by parents, he/she may be unknown of the meaning of the sound or the association. They simply make the sounds as they find that talking makes parents excited. At infancy, talking is just a method of reacting the emotions of parents; not a mode of communication for children. They come to learn the meanings of words and exact association of words with emotions and objects in later life.
Tips on conditioning language skills
Parents need to follow the voices made by children and condition them deliberately to make kids speak sensibly and clearly. They need to follow certain training formats to successfully teach children the essential art of talking.
Encourage them when kids make various sounds and help kids to learn to control the muscles in mouth which helps forming words with accurate strength and accent power. Proper formation of the speech muscles is essential to avoid all the possible language disabilities. Well functioning organs help infants to learn and talk fluently.
When you feel that your child is ready to take the lessons of talking, arrange the right atmosphere with lots of letters and sounds for them. Decorate their rooms with wallpapers that depict alphabets and words. Let them listen to music and similar sounds many times a day. Read them stories. Infants may not understand and respond promptly when you talk to them, but they imbibe each sound you make to them.
Find time to talk to them; initiate them to speak by looking at their face and pronouncing words clearly and slowly. They will learn from your lip movements and sounds they listen. The moving lips will tempt them to imitate the action and slowly they will, successfully, start speaking.
Once kids start making sensible sounds or start telling full words, then it is the time for parents to condition the talking skills and enriching their words pool. Get into frequent conversation with children; this will make them learn newer words and various speaking styles.
Talk naturally as if with a mature person, throughout the time with your baby. Gradually, babies will recognize speaking as the most effective mode of communication and later they will replace all the actions and gestures with meaningful words. Make their world filled with sounds, letters, alphabets and images.
Skills like language and talking is not literally taught but just nurtured. Teach them the sounds for all the household objects; teach them the names of all the actions you do; encourage them when they imitate the sounds you make. Children have natural instincts to talk, all that needed is a push to make them speak well. Singing songs for babies will help them start speaking early. Invite the attention of children before you talk to them; concentrating on the sounds you produce and the body language, kids easily learn the way of talking and also the art of producing meaningful sounds.
Talking and talking is the only way of excelling in language skills. Encourage kids to talk and appreciate when they talk correctly. Extend helping hands always to correct their mistakes and make them learn good language and perfect communication methods.