10 Questions
At what age are infants capable of vocal imitation at a greater rate?
12 months
What is the primary function of infants' early attempts to initiate interactions with adults?
To direct the adult's attention to the infant or an object
What is the aspect of language concerned with the perception and production of sounds?
Phonology
How do older children typically initiate interactions with others compared to younger children?
They wait until the other speaker has finished
What is the primary way infants as young as 8 months initiate interactions with adults?
Pointing or reaching towards an object
What is the result of young children's tendency to interrupt others in conversations?
Disrupted conversational flow
How do adults contribute to the structure and maintenance of conversations with young children?
They contribute a great deal
What do infants learn to do as they acquire language?
Use more vocalisations and fewer gestures
What is the relationship between facial imitation at 3 months and vocal imitation at 12 months?
Facial imitation at 3 months is related to a greater rate of vocal imitation at 12 months
What is the primary function of imitation in children's conversations with others?
To take a turn by repeating all or part of what the speaker has just said
Study Notes
Language Acquisition
- Infants decipher speech sounds to understand language by dividing the speech stream into meaningful units.
- Infant-directed speech (motherese) facilitates language acquisition, characterized by a higher pitch, more exaggerated pitch contours, a larger pitch range, and rhythmic speech.
Speech Segmentation
- By 7 months, infants can recognize familiar words in an uninterrupted speech stream.
- Infants use cues like strongly stressed syllables to determine word beginnings and endings.
- Infants prefer to listen to human speech over other sounds, facilitating speech segmentation.
Speech Production
- Infants' ability to produce speech sounds lags behind their ability to perceive them.
- Developmental phases of vocal production include:
- Reflexive vocalizations (birth-2 months)
- Cooing and laughing (2-4 months)
- Babbling and vocal play (4-6 months)
- Canonical babbling (6-10 months)
- Modulated babbling (10 months-onwards)
The Development of the Syntactic System
- Children's acquisition of syntax follows a predictable pattern in the first two years of life.
- Between 10-18 months, children begin to produce single-word utterances.
- Between 18-24 months, children begin to produce two-word utterances, conveying meaningful information.
Articulation and Imitation
- Children's pronunciation is affected by a combination of hereditary and environmental factors.
- Imitation plays a significant role in language development, with infants capable of imitation from a young age.
- Turn-taking and initiation of interactions are also crucial aspects of language development.
Conversation Maintenance
- Appropriate turn-taking is essential for conversational flow.
- Young children tend to interrupt others, while older children are more likely to wait for their turn.
- Adults contribute significantly to the structure and maintenance of conversations with young children.
Learn how infants develop language skills, including deciphering speech sounds and overcoming the challenges of the speech stream.
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