Question
A nearly 2-year-old child seems to have a slower language development, is inattentive, and has never been keen on making eye contact with adults. His pronunciation is unclear, and he currently only knows how to say words like “mom,” “dad,” “bye-bye,” and “fly.” For other words, he expresses them with indistinct sounds. Occasionally, when taught to say “elephant,” he can do so, but quickly forgets. He calls “mom” and “dad” only when he feels like it. Other children of his age can already talk, while he seems to still be in a confused stage. He is active, can initiate greetings and play with others, and imitates actions quickly (when he’s willing), enjoys watching commercials and listening to songs on TV, and can be quiet for a while. When he’s taught to read books, he always flips through them randomly, showing interest only in the pictures he likes.
Answer
Language development is influenced by various factors such as genetics, hearing ability, environmental education, and intelligence, and these factors are interrelated. Therefore, each child’s language development varies. Generally speaking, a baby of 9 months can say words, a 1-year-old can say 2-3 characters, and a 1.5-year-old can express several meaningful words.