New Vocabulary

Jonathan is a bit behind on his speech if you ask the doctors, we even went through some hearing tests with him and he refuse to articulate one verb in the children nurse’s presence. Still he clearly learns new things every day.

We are at the stage that he imitates words I say – even if not exactly – and he even corrects himself if I repeat the words often and slowly enough, thus insisting on having a response from him, while also training his hearing to the correct articulation. He also can answer in Hebrew regarding a matter being discussed in German in his presence, or the opposite (does not happen often). He knows that mommy talks in one language (Hebrew) and that a conversation with daddy is conducted in another language (German). He clearly uses the suitable language at the right occasion.

When he is counting he likes to switch between the two languages for fun. He knows how to count to ten in both languages. It’s a game in which he says one number, I the next and then he says the following number and so on. If he switches languages during such a counting session, so do I. He is always leading, and I am responding.
He invents songs to suit his purpose. For example, he says the blessing for food, which he has been taught in kindergarten, changing the sentence that specifies what is being eaten. This is his way of requesting a particular item for his dinner. Sometimes he just changes the words of a beloved tune because his thoughts are preoccupied with something else. This is why he recently has been seen repeating sing the word “balloon” again and again to the tune of a simple nursery rhyme. Singing is also a great way to get my attention, because he knows I will smile and nod at his song and even join in, singing the words with him or dancing the steps as the song requires.

As Jonathan has to cope with two languages he may be indeed a little behind in his use of each one. Only recently did he start using verbs in a direct form (not infinitive). His first full sentence was “I want a hug”! Oh boy! Did he get a hug that day! You bet! Other speech pearls include: No way!” (in Hebrew: lo, ma pitom), come play (boi lesachek), encouraging words (kadima!), self congratulations (kol hakavod, or just hakavod or the latest addition “mezuyan” for well done!) while clapping his hands together, clear requests (saying, crying or screaming the word please – tone dependant on situation), saying thank you every time you give him something (“toda raba” in Hebrew to mommy and “danke” to daddy)- my boy is very polite! Just last weekend he made a request communicating a series of actions that was to bring him towards his target. He showed me that we need to leave the house and use the car to get to grandma (he generally connect the car with the drive to my parent’s home).

With a combination of actions and words he communicates what he needs. He uses simple means but he gets the message through. Pointing to my shoes and even taking them off is a signal that I have come home, must stay and relax. He likes to do this when I return from work, so show me his wish that I now stay home (with him). His negotiation skills are also becoming more varied, as his vocabulary increases. His first negotiation skill was to use tears, trying to wail me into giving him what he wants. Now he tries to get things in small doses, working on the concept of many small additions will eventually amount to some volume. Thus the expressions “just one more” or “the very last one” (in Hebrew “acharon chaviv”), “another one? Yes?” )in Hebrew “od echad, ken?” and “is that OK? (beseder?) are becoming more frequent.

I will give him lets say one balloon, then he requests another and I refuse. He insists, wailing and not letting go of the subject until I agree to one more. He takes it and then works on the nest one, just one more, he tries, last one. Yes? or maybe he will attack with “the very very last one, OK? It takes a woman made of iron to refuse such cute requests, all the more so when he so politely adds, please (bevakasha balon) and then says “thank you very much” (toda raba) so nicely once he is given what is was (the balloon) that he requested.