Language acquisition is a complex concept. When do we acquire it? How? At what age do we fully understand how to speak one or multiple languages? Before we can uncover these questions, we have to understand how the human brain works from infancy. Infants are constantly interpreting new visual/verbal/tactile stimuli every day. People do not know it, but your baby is trying to communicate with you from the moment they are born when they first feel your touch, smell your scent, and hear your voice. They are using gestures, sounds, babbles, coos, and other means of body language and expression to communicate their needs to you. They are trying to learn more every day and they get better at doing so as time goes on! We know the one thing that inhibits language the most is electronics. A Harvard study came out in 2019 discovering exactly how phones, tablets, and other digital devices impact creativity and sleep on the brain. If this type of excessive stimuli affects adults in this way, imagine how detrimental it can be for our little ones whose brains are so underdeveloped. In fact, The American Psychological Association recommends “no screen time at all for children until 18 to 24 months, except for video chatting, and says kids ages 2 to 5 should get an hour or less of screen time per day. (American Psychological Association, 2021). One may ask, how does this happen? Why is it so bad for our kids? If you think about the neurotransmitter, dopamine, and how much of this natural chemical is released in the brain when an adult is highly stimulated, imagine how enchanting it can be for a 2-year-old. They may never want to let it go, and possibly tantrum when you take it away. We know from past generations that children at this age played outside. They did sports, they went for walks, they played street hockey in their neighborhood. When children lack this physical activity and “positive” stimulation, then their brains are less susceptible to acquiring more language around them. Next time you want to get out and engage in an activity with your child, go for a walk, play hopscotch, or lay down on the grass and look at the clouds. I hope everyone has the pleasure of getting outside and getting some fresh air today!
Be Well,
B
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/screen-time-brain