Baby language: practical advice

Cooing, babbling… The development of language in your baby is an important step in their learning process. What are the different stages of language development in children? When should you be concerned?

Baby language: everything you need to know.

The first stages of language in babies

From birth, your infant discovers a world of sounds and rhythms that will gradually shape their language learning. Let’s break it down step by step.

Cooing: the first interactions

Your baby starts exploring their voice and communicating very early, usually from around 2 months. Even if they can’t speak yet, they can produce sounds, called cooing. In practice, they cry (sometimes loudly), make sounds, and experiment with different intonations.

Beyond exploring vocal abilities, your baby uses these coos as early attempts at interaction with you, imitating the sounds they hear around them.

Good to know: from birth, your baby is highly attentive to surrounding sounds such as voices or environmental noises (like music, for example). The more familiar these sounds are, the more soothing they become.

Babbling: the foundation of language

Around 7 to 10 months, your baby may begin to produce repetitive sounds like “bababa” or “mamama.” This is known as babbling. More than just a sound game, it’s also a clear demonstration of their ability to imitate intonations and articulations they hear around them. Babbling is often described as a stage of pre-verbal awakening, where your baby practices using their voice to explore the phonemes (sounds) of their native language.

Keep in mind that this stage is strongly influenced by your baby’ssound environment. Nursery rhymes, conversations, and regular verbal interactions with you play an essential role during this phase. For example, you can nurture their curiosity by responding to their coos and engaging in simple dialogues, even if your baby can’t yet respond with words.

First words: at what age?

The first words usually appear between 12 and 18 months, though every child develops at their own pace of language development. Words like “dada” or “mama” are often among the first, as your baby hears them frequently in daily life and they are easier to articulate.

However, it’s not unusual for some children to take a bitlonger to express themselves verbally. No need to worry—every child develops at their own rhythm. On the other hand, if your baby shows no signs of language awakening after 18 months, consider consulting a speech therapist to assess a possible language delay.

How to support language development?

A word-rich environment and frequent interactions are your best allies to encourage your child’s language learning.

Stimulating games and activities

To stimulate your baby’s language development, playful games and activities are excellent tools. The game of “peek-a-boo” with objects or people can also help your baby understand basic concepts and develop oral language. During playtime, you can associate simple words with actions, like “peek-a-boo” or “where is it?” to encourage language awakening.

Introducing picture books and reading aloud can also support word learning. For example, you can point to pictures and name them, then encourage your child to imitate and repeat those words or the animal sounds (“the dog says woof,” “the cat says meow,” “the bear says grr,” etc.). Later, role-playing with puppets or toys can further stimulate language development by encouraging your child to tell simple stories.

Good to know: on May, you can find curated book lists to help develop your child’s language, sorted by themes.

Nursery rhymes and songs are also great ways to introduce new sounds and strengthen intonation. Singing regularly with your child can encourage them to imitate phonemes they hear.

The importance of verbal interactions

Having regular verbal interactions with your baby is very helpful for their language learning. Don’t hesitate to talk to them often, even if they can’t yet respond with words. For example, describe what you’re doing during daily activities like bath time or meals, using simple and clear sentences. This helps your child associate words with their meanings and expand their vocabulary.

Later, encourage your child to take part in conversations by asking simple questions and giving them time to respond, even with coos or gestures.

Language disorders: when to be concerned?

As we’ve seen, every child develops at their own pace, but some signs may suggest consulting a speech therapist to evaluate possible language disorders. Here are some key indicators to watch for:

• No babbling or social gestures at 12 months: if your baby does not make sounds or gestures like pointing, this may be a red flag.
• No words at 18 months: if your baby hasn’t said a first word by this age, consult a specialist for a deeper evaluation.
• No word combinations at 24 months: if your child can’t combine simple words into phrases, this could indicate a possible language delay.
• Loss of language skills: any regression in language or social skills, regardless of age, is concerning and should not be ignored.
• Worry: if you feel a persistent concern about your child’s language acquisition, trust your instincts and consult a professional.

Language disorders can include articulation difficulties, syntax problems, or more specific conditions like dysphasia or dyslexia.

Want to learn more? Feel free to download the May app, where you’ll find plenty of resources to support and guide you throughout your journey as a new parent.

Language in bilingual babies

Bilingualism brings unique characteristics to your baby’s language development. Infants exposed to multiple languages gain the opportunity to develop great cognitive flexibility.

As we’ve seen, from birth, newborns are capable of distinguishing different sounds and intonations, and therefore, different languages. This ability enables them to acquire a bilingual language.

Good to know: the babbling of bilingual babies may include a greater variety of phonemes, as they imitate the sounds of both languages they are exposed to. As a result, these children may sometimes take a little longer to say their first word in each language. However, this is not necessarily a sign of a language delay. And, of course, if you have doubts, don’t hesitate to consult.

Your baby’s language development happens continuously through their everyday environment. By absorbing the sounds and phonemes around them, your child becomes familiar with them and practices reproducing them first through babbling or cooing. If your child seems to be progressing more slowly in language learning than others, don’t worry—every baby develops at their own pace. However, if they show one or more signs of language disorder mentioned above, don’t hesitate to consult a speech therapist.

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Photos: AlexVog | koldunova_anna | Media_photos | rohaneh

This text was translated from French by an artificial intelligence. The information, advice, and sources it contains comply with French standards and may therefore not apply to your situation. Make sure to complement this reading by visiting the May US/UK app and consulting the healthcare professionals who are supporting you.