Introduction

This blog will contain essays on my children's journey into language - how they 'cracked the code' and began to communicate – in words, sentences and stories. As I document events from their language learning, I will also reflect on the things their language learning inspired in me as a linguist and as a mother. My documentation will be topical, not chronological. At some point in time, as these reflections become more fully fleshed out, I wish to reorganize it into a book, which would be chronological. Until then, you'll have to bear with my theme of the week. Some events will be large, some small. But all are part of the journey.

Watching my children learn language has been especially fascinating for me, because language development is my specialization within the field of (psyscho)linguistics. I've always been fascinated by language, and by the mind. Experiencing the development of language with my children has made what I've studied all the more personal. When a child learns language, it opens up a whole new realm of interaction with a parent. Language gives us a little insight into a child's mind - how it words, how they see the world, and how the world influences them. My children's language never ceases to amuse and amaze me. I hope you will enjoy this journey as much as I have.