Language Acquisition – A Brief What, Why and How

By Terri Patterson, H&V Headquarters

Language acquisition is a cornerstone of human development, enabling children to communicate, build relationships, and engage meaningfully with the world around them. For children with hearing loss, achieving effective language development can be more challenging but no less critical. Understanding language acquisition is vital to empowering children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or Deaf/HH Plus to share thoughts, emotions, ideas, and information.

Supporting Language Development in Day-to-Day Life

As a parent, there are many ways to build and enhance language acquisition for children with hearing differences or additional challenges. Our children may not experience the typical, subconscious, and natural process of effortlessly picking up their first language through meaningful interactions and structured stages.

Collaborate with your early intervention providers, Deaf mentors, trained parent guides, or other specialists. Ask them how you can incorporate activities and strategies into your daily routines to enhance your child’s language learning and development. You should have access to DHH language specialists who can assess and determine exactly what language skills should be targeted at your child’s level. These strategies might include interactive play, reading together, and using visual aids to support communication.

Have you checked out the Hands & Voices FL3 Language, Literacy, and Social Emotional Development Parent Tip Sheets recently?These eight different Parent Tip Sheets were created for parents and caretakers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) to use with the support of an early intervention provider who has experience working with children who are D/HH. Each tip sheet briefly describes the developmental process of infants and toddlers post-identified hearing condition for cognitive, social, emotional, language (semantics, syntax-morphology, pragmatics, phonology –auditory and visual), pre-literacy and literacy development. These tip sheets provide suggestions for parents and caretakers, for fun, everyday activities to enhance their baby’s development in these aspects! www.handsandvoices.org/fl3/topics/tipsheets.html

If you are a parent/caregiver of a child who is D/HH:

• Hang these up on your refrigerator and pick an activity or two to include in your baby’s daily routine or when you are out and about exploring the world.
• Pull a Parent Tip Sheet out when your EI provider visits and ask them which activities would be appropriate for your child’s current development. How can some of these activities be adapted to fit your child’s needs?

If you are a provider:

• Print these Parent Tip Sheets and take them on your next home visit. Pull out one that is appropriate for the family’s current needs or focus; talk about and practice some of these activities to support their child’s development and give one as homework to focus on between sessions.
• Share the link to the H&V FL3 website and talk about these resources. Use it as a conversation starter when discussing developmental milestones and skill development.

The Role of Language in Overall Development

Language is the primary medium through which children learn to read, write, and interact with others. Delayed language acquisition can lead to challenges in literacy, academic achievement, and social connections with peers. Additionally, it can impact self-esteem and confidence, creating further barriers to success. By fostering language development, parents and caregivers can help their children overcome these challenges and build a strong foundation for the future.

Creating a Supportive Home Environment

Educating parents and caregivers about strategies to foster language development is essential for creating a supportive home environment. For instance, maintaining open lines of communication, providing consistent exposure to language, and engaging in interactive activities can significantly enhance a child’s linguistic growth. If hearing technology is part of your child’s life, make sure the equipment works well and is used mostly during the waking hours (brief listening breaks are okay). If you are using visual language, make sure you and your child have regular opportunities to practice with Deaf adults, peers, and professionals so that your language and your child’s keeps growing. The tip sheets will give you ideas about where to focus. The 5 W/H questions and encouraging your child to use first, second, third, or beginning, middle, and end is listed on the pragmatics tip sheet, for example.

Language acquisition is essential for every child, and children with hearing loss are no exception. With early diagnosis, timely intervention, and the right resources, our children can develop the language skills they need to thrive. By fostering an inclusive and supportive environment, we can ensure that all children, regardless of hearing ability, have the opportunity to reach their full potential.  ~

Ed. Note: Most Tip Sheets are accompanied by a video of a parent interviewing a professional expert in the field to further your learning. Handsandvoices.org/fl3/topics/tipsheets.html

H&V Communicator – Spring 2025