There’s no turning back now. At 18 to 24 months, for better or worse, you’ve officially got a talker on your hands and all you can do is try to point the linguistic ship in the right direction while encouraging their rapidly blooming speaking and listening skills. This is the stage of lightning-fast word acquisition and an ocean of errors, though usually of the adorable variety, like pointing at a tall woman and saying “giraffe” or seeing a bearded man and asking, “Puppy face?” In fact, all these small errors are proof that the wheels in your little one’s head are spinning faster than ever as all those new neurological connections are being tested and ultimately established.
It’s all coming together at this stage, as learned vocabulary combines with both mimicry of adult speaking patterns and independent word associations. This is typically the age at which multi-word phrases and sentences emerge, though the correct order and application will come later. While language at this age will include phrases like “She goed” and may technically be a bit rough, parents are often rightfully astonished at their child’s burgeoning acquisition of relatively advanced subjects like pronouns, verbs, and the past tense. While it is still very much a work in progress, phrases like “Me fall” are leaps and bounds past simply pointing at a bottle and saying “ba-ba.”
Little Social Creatures
Children at this age may start imitating social cues and speaking patterns, even if they have no idea what they’re doing or why. This can be things like picking up a toy phone and saying, “Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm” repeatedly while nodding in a serious manner, or greeting strangers, animals, and objects with a heartfelt “Hello!” and an enthusiastic wave.
Echolalia
During this stage, echolalia, the repetition of words and phrases, also typically becomes more prominent. You may have your own personal echo repeating things you say, as your child uses this opportunity to practice forming words and creating a range of sounds. It may become a bit maddening at times, but echolalia is an important part of language development, as the repetition helps children refine their pronunciation and grammar skills.
The Emergence of Pronouns
Around the period of 18 to 24 months, children begin to obtain a better understanding of the concept of pronouns and even begin using them in simple sentences. They will likely begin with “me” and “you,” then quickly expand into possessives, especially a feisty “Mine!” This pronoun usage is indicative of the corresponding social development children at this age are experiencing as well, as they start to get a more nuanced understanding of the concepts of self and others.
These pronouns can be quite tricky for kids, and hearing things like “mine toy” and “me hungry” are common. These little mix-ups are to be expected and can be gently corrected, but will typically fade over time.
Imagination, Metaphors, and Play
At this stage, children are not only gaining the ability to describe their surroundings and feelings, but they’re also starting to make connections on a non-literal level. Kids at this age may occasionally slip into their own fantasy worlds and games, describing and explaining their games and ideas as best they can. Parents may not understand what exactly their child wants to play or is imagining, but they do start to get a glimpse into just how powerful their little imaginations are becoming.
Verbally, children may start playing with non-literal language, such as dunking a chicken nugget in ketchup and saying, “bath.” This is no minor feat, as it shows they’ve opened the mental doors to all sorts of higher-level thinking and associations.
Frustration with Progress
While parents are often delighted with their child’s rapid language progress at this stage, toddlers themselves will commonly become frustrated when they’re unable to put their thoughts into words how they want. In a way, children are victims of their own success at this stage, as they’ve begun to see that they can communicate in a wide variety of ways, and suddenly want it all now, now, now. They’ve recognized not only the power of language, but also the fact that they’ve got a lot of catching up to do to reach equal footing with the rest of the world.
This frustration can come out in the form of tears, tantrums, and even occasional withdrawal. It’s essential for parents to be extra patient and supportive during these moments. In addition to soothing and validating their child’s feelings, parents can also help by modeling appropriate language, providing other forms of expression (such as hand gestures, drawings, or pictures), and always offering praise for attempts at communication. Like all stages of language development, all successes should be celebrated as your child makes his or her way to linguistic fluency.
