12.1: Introduction

Introduction to Language Development

There is something truly special about language development. Beyond the amazing feat that infants and toddlers acquire complex language systems rapidly and with relative ease, language changes a child’s interactions with the people around them and how they think about their physical surroundings. Language affords the ability for adults and children to share inner thoughts and feelings and discuss past, present, and future events. With language, children transform their thinking about the world around them with new ways to label, organize, categorize and memorize. Furthermore, early language ability in toddlerhood is important not only for later language ability but also for cognitive development in later childhood. This section will provide an overview of communication and language development during the first three years, considering acquisition patterns and the importance of individual differences.