First words

[monkeysmama]

I speak to dd in Italian but it is rare that she hears it from anyone else (when we go to Italy and when friends / family come over). She is 10 months almost and starting to say a few words but all English. I know it is FAR too early to be concerned but I am wondering what others' experiences are with regards to first words - particuarly those who don't have other people speaking the language they speak to their LO in.

She obviously understands Italian as lots of the things she does she only does when i say it in Italian (i.e. clapping, not touching dangerous things, waving)

Thanks
MM

Ten months is early for first words (twelve months is typical). And early words they tend to pick the language they happen to find easiest to say. So you might get "bye-bye" early and "ciao-ciao" quite a lot later. Don't worry. My 21mo only hears Italian at her childminder's and then only from childminder's husband. She somehow has picked up a few words and thinks it's hysterically funny to use them.

Agree 12 months is more typical for first words.
That's when my DD started saying some words in Chinese.
However, aged 22 months, despite understanding almost everything I say in Chinese, she says one or two words at most.
She tends not to 'speak' to me but I hear her speak in English to her nanny and the workers at nursery as she is beginning to string words together now.
I do feel a bit [sad[ about this, and, for me, is one of the negatives of not being a SAHM. Having been brought up in the UK, I know from my own experiences that the community language will be the dominant one in the end.

On the other hand, DD spoke no French until recently (DH speaks to DD in French), and now she has started to say French words, We think it's because she sees DH conversing in French to a French mother at nursery about twice a week. Whereas, I, on the otherhand don't have anyone to speak Chinese to.

Perhaps, if you're worried, you could go to some Italian speaking playgroups?

My daughter understands French as well as she understands English.

First words around 12m were papa (which must be French, we use dad in English) and dada and mama(n), though whether that's French or English is obviously anyone's guess. She says "(h)allo" too but, as the French use that on the phone, it's impossible to say which language it is.

Her first "other" words (not family members or names) are just starting now (13m) and are mainly English, though I'm sure she said "au revoir" the other day.

If I'm honest, though, this could all be wishful thinking, couldn't it? I mean, it's a charitable interpretation that finds any "words" in what a 1yo says ...

ManIFeelLikeAWoman I think if you think your daughter says a word or something close to one it's important to respond as if it were a word. On the one hand, if it is what they were trying to say, they are getting the positive feedback they need. On the other hand, if it is pure chance, it will help them learn what the words mean.

Conversely, it would be so sad, imagine the poor kid struggling for weeks to get her mouth round a word and then not getting a response. It would be like being locked out of a party and banging on the windows, seeing everyone inside smiling and waving but they won't let you in - agony!

Oh, we absolutely do respond to her as if it's a word and we really are looking forward (perhaps naively ...) to every single word she says because we can tell it's frustrating her not to be understood.

But I'm sure you know what I mean about guesswork and it's especially hard when two languages are involved - she does this reaching out thing and makes a sound like [da]. I get what she means - "give it to me" - but is she saying, "tiens" (confused by the direction of the reaching gesture); "ta" (as in thanks); "donne" with no n's in it; or has someone been speaking Russian to her on the sly and sh'es actually saying "dai", meaning "give"?!

Hmmm... I was thinking abou this idea that bilingual babies are slower to start speaking and I was wondering to what extent parental uncertainty is involved. If parents respond slower or aren't so sure it seems likely that it would reduce the speed and the frequency of feedback.

I'd definitely go for "ta" or "thanks" - whatever word is closest to whatever she is saying, I'd play it back to her.

That's just it - as we're OPOL, feeding it back involves, in actual fact, going for "merci" to feed back.

I realised after I posted that there is another possibility. RidgewayBaby always used to say "that!" when she wanted something. "Ca!" would be the French equivalent, yes? The sound s is pronounced as d by most babies until they figure out how to get their tongue in the right place.

Have you studied comparative linguistics at all? It's really useful to know all the common sound changes.

A little - not since uni, and then it was as part of a compulsory general linguistics course on the side of my "real" studies. I learnt more about that from teaching TEFL than I ever did at uni ... But sound changes - yes, that makes sense, I will give "ca!" a go.

That said, she has now moved onto a seemingly non-lingual
"bullabullabullabullah". It's like someone joining in with a song when they know the tune but very few of the words!

Update - it's now "mulahmulahmulahmulahmulahmulahmulah." Almost certainly progress ...

Hello!
My DD also started to say words around 10 months, well, something like that... I speak to her in Spanish, DH in French and English while she is in the nursery.
Until she started the nursery (13 months), she was exposed mainly to Spanish as she was spending more time with me, so her first "words" where in Spanish: agua, guapa, hola...
Then, obviously, when she started the nursery, she was spending more time in an English environment, so she is picking up more words in English now (21 months).
She does not say a great deal of words, but I do not want to be concerned just yet as I think it is a bit too early. I know she does understands in all 3 languages what we want to tell her, so for her to actually speak the languages... well, it will come. We just need to keep on doing what we are doing and then help her with extra help for the reading and writing later on.
I do read to her in Spanish, watch TV ... and always talk, talk and talk. Like IFeelLike says, we do respond to her to any word/sound she makes and also try to guess and repeat the word a few times.
The other day for example, I asked if she wanted something and she said: "yeah" and I said: "si?", she looked at me and nodded and I repeated "si?" and then she said:"si". I want to believe that she understood me...
She does also say "ta" meaning "thank you" and I always tell her "gracias", which she understands, because when I give her something (like a biscuit or something) I ask her "que se dice?" (what do you say?) and she says "gracias".
DD husband does the same as I do, but in French.
Well, and many more examples, but I do not want to bore you all...

They will go through the phase of not wanting to speak because their friends do not speak the language and they do not want to feel different (in their teens...??), but eventually, if we keep on talking to them and helping them, I believe (or want to believe!!) that they will speak the language.
I think it is also very important that they know not only the language, but also the culture, the country, etc. And having friends is also essential. They can see that you talk to the parents in the same language, with the children and they can do the same, without any problem, they will not feel "different" and it will be something natural to them.

Well, I said I did not want to bare you... and here I am with my long posts, as usual...