Theories of Language Development
... They acquire the ability to speak and comprehend the language of their speech community. Language is an important part of human life and influences both cognitive and social development. Regardless of cultural differences and differences among the languages to be learned, all normal children acquire their first language with relative ease, leaving most casual observers with the impression that the acquisition of language is a relatively simple task for children. Although it is true that all normal children find language acquisition a natural and spontaneous activity, it is nonetheless a remarkable achievement, one that has amazed and puzzled scholars of language and language acquisition for some time. ... The second step on the path to language development, usually occurring around six weeks, is cooing.