Different signal used in languages

When learning a new language, there are many different type of signals that we can use to help us get the meaning in a conversation. Such as intonation, facial expression, the grammar, body language, and the most important is the context.

In my observation with my children for their language learning, I found they naturally used intonation, facial expression, and context to apply the words or phrases they picked up. For example, when I told a story to my son. He sometimes can’t recognize the words I spoke, and he will ask me to repeat it again. The second time he will focus on my lips and tonal changes, at the same time he watched the pictures in the story book and have a comprehension with the context. Next time, when I told the same story, I deliberately ask him the same words, he made exactly correct response to me. I am surprised and curious why he could learn so fast.

    I think my son make a great demonstration for me how to pick up the language quickly. When we use a language to communicate, we could not only rely on one kind of information to express meanings. Because human have emotions, and we convey our emotions by voice tone, facial expressions, gestures, and the whole context in a conversation. So if we used the language as a communication tool, we would not rely on only one source of information to communicate with others. That’s why children can learn a language naturally and easily. To explore adults’ language learning process, we could find even we have more skills than children, but we lack the courage to ask someone to repeat what we didn’t understand for the first time. This will let us lose the opportunities grabbing the words and make a fusion with the whole context.