Here is a video of Lo Lo signing "shoe" and doing his trademark scream of frustration. =) I have gotten to where I recognize that distinctive cry and even if I hear it from clear across the house, I know that Lo is trying to attempt something and feeling frustrated with the task. It makes me laugh, if mainly because I know he will stop using it when he is more able to use words to express himself. We're working on it!
I had sort of lost track of that Lo's words for a few months, and ended up having several scraps of paper, a post-it note, and a computer file all containing lists of the words he had learned. I wrote them down as I noticed him using them, and didn't include words he merely mimicked--instead I counted a word "learned" when Lo reproduced it in the appropriate context and I was sure he was aware of what he was saying.
A few days ago I added up all the different small lists we'd compiled, and felt pretty amazed! That Lo has learned to say a lot in the past couple months! And really, it only was a few months since he started to be a talker. It is common for kids raised bilingual to be a little slower to talk, but once they do start talking, to leap into a bigger vocabulary than monolinguists. Also, I'd resisted doing much ASL (baby signs) with him since I wanted to focus on Chinese. But once we checked out our first Baby Signing Time DVD from the library, all my resistance melted away. Because I saw how much that Lo LOVED doing baby signs, I just embraced it. And it has been good for his English speaking skills to have the signs reinforcing the words. I wish there was a Chinese equivalent. We really have limited Chinese language learning materials.
Anyway, here are the words he knows so far! Oh, and one more note on the Chinese words, he has started putting "ah" at the end of some words, so I consider that a Chinese-language thing. Anybody familiar with Chinese would understand. =) Oh, and also I should note that a few of his signs are pretty different from the ASL version--he made up his own and that's ok for now!
LoLo’s English Words:
1. Daddy
2. Mommy
3. Boob Boob (it is what it sounds like—haha; this is his first real word aside from Mommy/Daddy)
4. Water (wawa)
5. Doggy
6. Hot (hah-hah)
7. Ball
8. Hi
9. More
10. Ohm ( food )
11. Clock (tat)
12. Done
13. Bird
14. Peekaboo (boo)
15. Eye
16. On (He wants lights to turn on)
17. Pooping
18. Stop
19. Go
20. Tyson (“Dai Dai”- Ty Ty)
21. Claire (Dare)
22. No
23. Amen
24. Moon
25. Night Night
26. Beam (sunbeam, as in the song "Jesus Wants Me For a SunBEAM)
27. Egg
28. Uh-Oh
29. Ice
30. Knock knock
31. Book
32. Swish (ball in hoop)
33. Bee (bugs in general)
34. Deer (dee)
35. MuMu (bubble – sometimes pronounces it more correct, but usually MuMu)
36. Bib
37. Ball
38. Binky (bee)
39. DVD (D-D)
40. Spider
41. Glasses (Dai)
42. Please (peese)
43. Down
44. Bike
45. Bite
46. Peas
47. Dance
48. Boat (boh)
49. Bellybutton (bee bee)
50. Dip dip (“doot doot” dip food in a cup of water)
51. Jump (du with guttural stop)
52. Dinosaur (daradadaaahaha….)
53. Ow
54. Me
55. Juice (doo)
56. Banana (nana)
57. Yeah
58. Bum
59. Battery (ba-ee) (he loves to play with batteries...great)
LoLo’s Signs
1. Please
2. More
3. Food
4. All Done
5. Hi
6. Bye
7. I’m Afraid
8. Bib
9. Apple
10. Stop
11. Go
12. Spider
13. Shoe
14. Ball
15. Doll
16. Wash my hands
17. Coat
18. Baby
19. Be Nice
20. Down
21. Rain
22. Pray
23. Me
24. Signing (as in, the Baby Signing Time theme)
25. Time (same as above)
26. Cold
27. Balloon
28. Banana
29. Wind
30. Outside
31. Dirty
Lo’s Chinese
1. Bei Bei (Nose-Cantonese)
2. Pao Bu (Run)
3. Nai Nai (milk)
4. Deng Deng (light – Cantonese)
5. Mao (cat)
6. Mao Yi (ant-Cantonese)
7. Bao Bao (hug)
8. Mian (noodle)
9. Daddy-ah
10. Mommy-ah
11. Da Bo (play ball – Cantonese)
In addition to speaking these words, Lo Lo seems to understand most of what we say to him in English, Cantonese, or Mandarin. He can point to objects in a book or parts of the body in English and Chinese. It is so exciting. I really feel hope that he can be multilingual--it seems to be working so far, even though he is obviously really English-dominant.
5 comments:
Wow, an amazing list --what a precious record!
Wow, way to go Lo! Your child is giving me a complex. Zoe only says like four words with any regularity (though she has quite a few one-offs.) She does one sign. She is almost 2. I keep reading cheerful articles about how late speakers start using more complex language, but really I know she's just so darn stubborn she isn't going to talk until she absolutely has to! In the meantime she lets her big brother do literally all her communicating for her. Little rascal!
Vanessa, if you really want Zoe to sign (though it sounds like you are content with her using Jed as her voicebox for now), check out some Baby Signing Time from the local library! Seriously, those DVDs are magic...and so obnoxiously cute that I get the songs from them stuck in my head all night long. =)
BTW, Lo Lo doesn't use all these words on a regular basis. Many of them were used for a few days, and then phased out as he focused on other new words. But I counted the words learned anyway. Hope that's ok...
sounds like he is doing great! And I would much rather stick with a good doctor who listens then one who doesn't. Brock took a while to really talk I think he was almost 2 before any real vocabulary came out. and whenever I don't understand something he is saying i tell people it's polish. he does understand polish I'm just not sure if he's actually saying the words {since I don't know it} but he talks a lot now and even reads words here and there, words I've never told him. but I have always used signs with both babies. Brock learned them a little faster than Nicholas and although he talks now he is helping me teach Nicholas some sings {way cute} singing is way fun and really helps babies learn. have fun with your little guy!
That's so interesting about Brock's Polish. I'm sure he IS learning so speak some--have Ryszard's (sp?) ears been able to identify Brock saying any Polish? Pretty much all of Lo's Chinese has been "discovered" by Jerry. I miss you Jocelyn! Wish our boys could be growing up together.
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