• Cuando los niños están comenzando a hablar, es necesario pronunciar las palabras adecuadamente, con buena dicción, pronunciación y coherentemente, de acuerdo a su significado; no deformadas con diminutivos u onomatopeyas o descontextualizadas. Esto hay que hacerlo de manera repetida, para que ellos, por imitación y asociación al concepto, las puedan aprender.
• Es necesario oír y hablar con nuestros niños, ellos recordarán esas conversaciones como experiencias gratas y valiosas por el resto de sus vidas y a la vez enriquecerán su desarrollo cognitivo y emocional. A mí no se me olvidan muchas conversaciones con mis padres.
• Leer cuentos antes de dormir es una forma genial de enseñarles a hablar y a la vez estimular su amor hacia la lectura, pudiéndose convertir en un hábito.
• Jugar con los niños es importante para que aprendan una lengua. Recuerdo que mamá jugaba conmigo con los tacos de madera a construir palabras y a pronunciarlas, o cuando me daba la sopa de fideos en la que venían letricas, ella construía palabras en el plato y así iba aprendiendo.

• Ya estando más grandes, podemos enseñarles una palabra nueva cada día, con ello estaremos ampliando su léxico y brindándoles más herramientas para su desarrollo integral.
• El ejemplo es la mejor forma de enseñar. Tener una manera adecuada de expresarnos, utilizando apropiadamente las palabras, pronunciándolas bien, evitando decir groserías, es una práctica muy significativa para que los niños aprendan a hablar y adquieran su lengua materna.
• En condición de emigrantes, pues el asunto se pone más difícil, ya que quizás no conocemos bien el idioma del país al que vamos a vivir; entonces no queda de otra que tratar de documentarnos al máximo y recurrir a los tutores y maestros para tratar de suplir esta falla. En el caso de mis nietas, su padre tuvo dos lenguas maternas, y en ambas se expresa también perfecta y fluidamente, así que es él quien les ha enseñado y guiado en este proceso. Ambas fueron afortunadas.
• Y para finalizar, les recuerdo la llave, la clave máxima de todo proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje: EL AMOR.

• Lenneberg, E. (1969) Fundamentos del lenguaje. Madrid: Editorial Alianza.

• Chomsky, N. (1992). El lenguaje y el entendimiento. Barcelona: Planeta-De Agostini.

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Here come to mind the various theories that explain language acquisition, especially that proposed by Noam Chomsky and his Language Acquisition Device (LAD), and that of Eric Lenneberg and his Critical Period Theory.

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In essence, Chomsky in 1992, enunciated the theory called Language Acquisition Device, in which he stated that all humans have an innate tendency to learn language, it is as if a software was incorporated that is activated to learn to speak. He also indicated that there are certain components which he called cognitive precursors , which exist thanks to the complexity of the brain. These cognitive precursors are fundamentally of the sensory-motor type, and allow increasingly complex and particular linguistic structures to emerge and differentiate; and this is inherent to the human being because language is a vital ability to survive and is associated with the cognitive capacity of our species.

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Likewise, Chomsky points out that at birth, the child has the anatomical structures that make it possible for him to speak (vocal cords, ear, brain), that is, the hardware to communicate; However, if any of these organs presents any malformation, it will be difficult for them to develop this communication capacity. Chomsky indicates that the starting point for the development of formal oral expression is from 4 years of age, because at this point the individual already has a base language, a set of words that can be expanded through the learning of complex syntax and grammar rules naturally, without the need for any inductive process. Simply put, children learn to speak because they bring software and hardware that are inherent to humans and that are activated due to proper social interaction with other humans. This analogy regarding hardware and software is a PERSONAL interpretation on my part, so I understand this theory.

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As for Lenneberg, in 1969 he proposed a very interesting thesis, which he was sadly able to demonstrate in practice. His theory, which he called Theory of the critical period , has as its main premise that there is a temporary window for learning language or oral expression , which begins in early childhood and ends at the beginning of adolescence. After this time has elapsed, it is not possible that a human being who has lacked sufficient and adequate stimulus, can learn the language, neither spoken nor written; and this happens because it is in this critical period or window when the neurological faculties that allow learning the language develop; It is necessary that both internal and external conditions are linked to the development of speech, if this does not happen, the child will never learn to communicate; and social interaction is essential for such conditions to occur.

Photo by Colin Maynard on Unsplash

Unfortunately, it was possible that Lenneberg could prove his theory because in November 1970, in Los Angeles, California, United States, a 13-year-old girl was discovered, who had been chained since she was 20 months old to a chair, and she was in a basement, cut off from virtually any human contact. This girl was called Genie (not her real name), and it was irrefutable proof of the Critical Period theory.

Photo by Sam Moqadam on Unsplash

Genie, being totally deprived of any stimulation and of any human contact, did not speak. Once she was treated by the country's Social Services, in order to be properly diagnosed and stimulated, she managed to learn some words and phonemes, but could never have coherence, since she did not understand the syntax of the language, since it was out of her reach to understand the grammar of language. This was because she did not receive sufficient encouragement during the mentioned critical period; and once that time has elapsed, the brain loses capacity in certain functional areas linked to language development. It is then, that by a process called neuroplasticity, this organ delegates this function to other areas that are available, but are less compatible with this task, being by extension less efficient for it.

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It is necessary to indicate that the language in general terms can be learned in two ways: Explicitly and implicitly . The explicit way occurs when a tutor teaches us grammar and spelling rules of a language, and is the way we learn other languages when we are teenagers or adults. The implicit form is that which occurs in young children within the critical period or window of language learning, and this is produced by the following elements:

• They learn by social interaction through imitation, it is easy to see that we teach young children to speak through repeating words to them, they hear and imitate them;
• Then comes the reinforcement, which is generated if the word gets good results or the expected response, then they will proceed to repeat them and fix them in his brain.
• Consequently, innate linguistic structures are stimulated, (which are those that any human has at birth, that is, the mental structures required for the acquisition of language to which Chomsky alluded under the name of mental precursors).
• Then there is cognitive development, which implies that language learning is directly proportional to previous cognitive development. In other words, each new element of speech (word, syntax, pronunciation, etc.), will not appear before the child acquires the concept with which it is linked.

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Unfortunately, Genie was isolated and devoid of all these stimuli in the critical period, and consequently she could not learn to speak correctly, losing this ability. That is, when a child who does not learn to speak correctly before the age of 10, it will be difficult for him to do so later, affecting other aspects of his development , since language at the earliest ages of life life, you must speak first, and then learn to write; and this is essential that it be done well, because correct oral and written expression gives us enough skills and communication skills to pronounce and handle a wide lexicon that favors understanding, learning, construction and expression of concepts and ideas.

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I wanted to present these theoretical considerations, as they are necessary to understand how important it is to properly stimulate and teach language in young children during the critical period or window of learning ; But taking this to the practical field, and based on my personal experience, I can point out that the following actions are very enriching in the process of acquiring a mother tongue, be it one, two or three, as studies have shown that they can be acquired various mother tongues; so we can do the following:

• When children are beginning to speak, it is necessary to pronounce the words properly, with good diction, pronunciation and coherently, according to their meaning; not deformed with diminutives or onomatopoeia or decontextualized. This must be done repeatedly, so that they, by imitation and association with the concept, can learn them.
• It is necessary to listen and talk with our children, they will remember these conversations as pleasant and valuable experiences for the rest of their lives and at the same time they will enrich their cognitive and emotional development. I don't forget many conversations with my parents.
• Reading stories before bed is a great way to teach them to talk and at the same time stimulate their love of reading, and it can become a habit.
• Playing with children is important for them to learn a language. I remember that Mom would play with me with the wooden blocks to build words and pronounce them, or when she gave me the noodle soup with letters, she would build words on the plate and that's how I learned.

Photo by Marisa Howenstine on Unsplash

• Already being older, we can teach them a new word every day, with this we will be expanding their lexicon and providing them with more tools for their integral development.
• Example is the best way to teach. Having an adequate way of expressing ourselves, using words appropriately, pronouncing them well, avoiding swearing, is a very significant practice for children to learn to speak and acquire their mother tongue.
• As migrants, as the matter becomes more difficult, since perhaps we do not know the language of the country where we are going to live well; then there is no choice but to try to document ourselves as much as possible and turn to tutors and teachers to try to make up for this failure. In the case of my granddaughters, their father had two mother tongues, and in both he also expresses himself perfectly and fluently, so it is he who has taught and guided them in this process. They were both lucky.
• And finally, I remind you of the key, the ultimate key of all teaching-learning process: LOVE.

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Thank you very much for reading my post, which I know is very extensive. I hope it is very useful to you. Greetings and blessings.

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The presentation image is available on the website Unsplash.com and has been intervened with the CANVA application. The rest of the images are also available on Unsplash.com. Each image has its respective source.

I have documented and acquired some concepts, from the following bibliography:

• Lenneberg, E. (1969) Fundamentos del lenguaje. Madrid: Editorial Alianza.

• Chomsky, N. (1992). El lenguaje y el entendimiento. Barcelona: Planeta-De Agostini.

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The wording of this publication is 100% ORIGINAL.

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