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Communication begins in infancy.
Parents interact with their infants in such a way as to promote
communication, and they do this naturally. The infants aren't
intentionally communicating; they are responding to their
environment reflexively. They cry when hungry, tired, or feeling
discomfort. They become still and pay attention to new and
interesting sights, sounds and sensations. Parents of infants
speak to them with a slower rate of speech, stretching the words
out. They vary their intonation, which makes their speech sound
more interesting to their baby. They pause between utterances as
if to allow their baby a turn in the "conversation". This is
turn taking. Their baby is intrigued by this stimulation and
will look at the parent, maintaining eye contact, which
encourages the parent to continue. When baby looks away, parents
interpret this as loss of interest in the interaction or assume
that the baby is tired and let them have quiet time to sleep. If
the baby looks to an object in the environment, the parent will
talk about that object, label it, and perhaps bring it closer or
offer it to the baby. Parents interpret their infant's behavior
as meaningful and they respond appropriately. With frequent
repetition of these interactions, the infant begins to learn
that they can affect their environment. If they cry, they will
be picked up, held and fed; if they look from parent to an
object, they may get that object; if they look away from their
parent they will be left to rest. The development of speech and
language skills is a maturational process. Children are not
formally "taught" these skills but they learn them over time. |
