English - International
French - France
Spanish
German
Portuguese
English - USA
English - UK
Russian
Italian
Japanese - Japan
Portuguese - Portugal
Polish - Poland
Language & Communication 9 - 12 m
Baby’s First Words
As your baby approaches his first birthday, words become a more substantial part of his developing world of understanding. His first word is just around the corner, if it hasn’t been uttered yet.
Babbling Transforming into Words
Your baby can now combine multiple syllables in a chant-like intonation that sounds like he is engaged in an intricate conversation. He has naturally dropped sounds that are not related to his mother tongue and his chattering sounds more and more like his native language. Quite suddenly, your baby will utter his first word! At first, it may sound similar to his usual babbling, but he clearly uses this word, or sound, to mean something very specific. He will use it again and again for the same purpose, until you finally realize what it means. This could be a short, monosyllabic word, such as "ba" for banana or "ka" for cup.
Levels of Understanding
Your baby’s ability to understand is growing rapidly. For example, at around 13 months, many babies can utter just four words, but understand far more, averaging between 17 and 97 words. It is interesting that a baby who is very “verbal” may in fact understand far less than a baby who has yet to utter her first word. So, if you're baby still isn't saying much - don't worry.
- Understands short sentences, like “bring me the ball;” or “Say hello to Tommy.”
- Begins to pronounce sounds similar to her native language, and stops making sounds that are not related to it.
- Verbal expressions become richer and includes a stream of vowels and consonant sounds, complete with a cadence that sounds like actual speech,
- Speak to your baby whenever you are together. Tell her what you are doing, what you are looking at, what you are both hearing. Put into words her own feelings and actions, such as "You must be tired," "You're eating a banana," etc.
- Engage in a dialogue with your baby, using all kinds of sounds. Listen and react to the inflection and tone in her voice.
- Encourage her to imitate what you say and your facial expressions.
- Make your “conversations” about topics that require comprehension, like "Where is the light?" and point to it. Or simple instructions to follow, such as "wave bye-bye."
- When your baby utters her first word, repeat it. Use it in a sentence. For example, if your baby says "Daddy" and points to the door, you can respond with "Daddy went to work." This helps broaden her understanding and vocabulary.
Language Development and Reading
