How Babies Hear and Learn Before Birth
Once spoken, your baby’s very first word is difficult to forget. You feel like you just saw your child make a huge leap forward. You may wonder if your child meant to say something if it’s an accident or just a burp.
Researchers and early child linguists began to focus on the importance of “baby talk”, and how adults talking silly things to babies was accomplishing something important.
Now BabyLab is a new podcast created by Babyology in collaboration with Western Sydney University. It digs through the science and answers all of our questions about how babies communicate.
All Begins Before Birth.
The research scientist at the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour, and Development, explains that babies start learning how to decode sounds into language at a surprisingly young age.
The origins of language and how a child learns to speak begin before birth. Karen explains that the baby can hear from the third trimester onwards in the mother’s womb.
It sounds muffled, so they don’t hear the exact speech sounds but they can still pick up the rhythm and intonation. “That’s their first glimpse into language.”
By the time babies are born, they have already spent three months learning and tuning in to language. It’s not the way people speak, but it prepares them to learn the language.
Early speech development by parents and early speech input from the child are essential for language development.
Denis Burnham Research Professor of Speech and Language at the MARCS Institute, says that the interaction between parents and children is fundamental to language development.
When mothers speak to their infants, they exaggerate the vowel sound and their voice. Parents exaggerate the space between ‘ee,’ ‘oo,’ and ahh sounds when they talk to their infants.
Tuning into Language
Denis believes that his research shows this subconscious exaggeration is a primary way to teach language. We can help children learn to read by focusing on vowel sounds in infant-directed speech, also known as ‘baby talk’.
Baby talk is a great way to ‘tune’ your baby’s ears so that they can focus on and pick up the distinct sounds of, their native language.
Denis explains that around four months old, babies begin to notice certain sounds in the environment, but not others. This is called ‘perceptual tuning’, which is similar to ‘tuning into’ something. As infants, we narrow our focus to the sounds most commonly used in our language.
Initially, babies can distinguish between different sounds. Babies can differentiate between sounds in their native language and those from other languages. By the time the child reaches the age of 12 months, they have mastered the process.
The ‘tuning process’ that took place when we were infants explains why we may find it difficult to learn new languages as adults – particularly those like Thai or Mandarin, which use tones and sounds we do not use in English.
We didn’t hear the adults around us use these features as we grew up. This is why we find it difficult to learn a new language, especially one like Thai or Mandarin that uses tones and other sounds we don’t use in English.
Language is the Key to Human Differentiation.
Karen Mattock, a Dr. at the University of California San Diego, says that “the use of language separates us from all other animals in the world. We use language as a symbolic tool to communicate ideas and concepts about the world.”
“We are the only ones who use language the way we do.” There is some evidence that non-human primates, like chimpanzees, can use language to some degree, but this is nowhere near as impressive as the number of symbols a human infant learns. There’s something hard-wired in the brain of a human infant to learn language.”
I think it’s important to understand how babies learn language because it is so vital to their survival. Can you imagine life without language? This is the best way to learn about the entire world. It’s important to bond with others, develop friendships, and learn in life. “It’s important.”
When do Babies Start Talking?
First-time parents often ask: when do babies begin to talk? Indeed, your baby is already communicating in two ways earlier than you think. This is another proof of how amazing babies are: they start learning languages even before birth
. It’s because the baby heard you speak while still in the womb, and became familiar with the rhythms and sounds you used. Studies have shown babies who were read to by their mothers during pregnancy prefer to hear those books after birth, as indicated by an increase in sucking.
When do babies begin to talk? Baby-talking is an exciting milestone. It’s a special moment to watch your baby babble and form words, then string them together into sentences.
There are common signs and stages that you can look out for as your baby develops their language. There are also ways to encourage your baby to form words and start making associations.
Are you ready to learn the basics of language? When do babies begin to babble? When do babies begin to talk? What words could you hear for the first time? Find out what milestones you can expect from your baby and what you should do if they don’t reach them.
When do Babies Start to Babble?
Babbling is the first step in learning to speak. This may sound like gibberish but it is the basis of verbal communication. It’s true, this is a baby’s very first attempt to speak a language. Babbling prepares babies for real life.
“It is all practice because their babbles are the foundation of their first words,” says The Doctor, who studies babies at Cornell University’s Infant Studies Laboratory. Babbling includes sounds such as sighing, cooing, and gurgling. These sounds eventually become consonant sounds.
Baby might begin to make the “m” noise. After a few repetitions, the “m” sound will become “ma,” then “ma-ma,” before you know it. Babbling is common in babies as young as six months. They will start using multiple syllables at around nine months. Take a look at the details:
Within 6 Months
As we have already mentioned, by six months most babies will be babbling. They make short strings of consonant and vowel sounds, such as ma-ma, ba-ba, and da-da. Casasola says that babies who are exposed to more than one language will babble in a way that is consistent with each of the languages.
This stage is when the baby begins to acquire receptive language, which means that he or she can understand the language even if they cannot yet speak it. As early as six months, experimental studies have shown that babies can associate the word “mama”, with their caregiver.
In 9 Months
It takes more mental skill to remember a word than to understand it.
When Do Babies Start Talking?
They will not say their first words officially until around age one. Babbling is the only exception. They have many ways to communicate with you, including crying, gurgling, and sighing. Around 2 months they will start smiling.
When do babies first say a word? There is no exact answer. Jocelyn Wood CCC-SLP is a speech pathologist. She says that there are different times when babies will say their first words. When should a child start speaking more frequently?
It’s good to know what to expect. While this can differ from baby to child, it is helpful to have a general idea. You’ll find below a timeline of when babies first say a word, start speaking in sentences, and talk clearly.
Within 12 Months
Wood says that the first words your child will say are likely to be things they encounter most often in their daily lives. These include food items (banana, apple, milk), toys (balls and cars), important people like “Mama and Dada”, or names of pets and siblings.
Wood says that the first words your child will use are likely to be things they are familiar with, such as food (bananas, apples, milk), toys, (balls, babies, cars), people, (Mama and Dada), pets, or siblings, or words from routines.
Within 24 Months
Wood explains that toddlers between 18 and 24 months go through a rapid period of growth during which they learn new words every day. Your budding linguist might have a vocabulary of between 50 and 100 words at this stage.
She explains that the 100-word milestone is crucial because it is at this point when toddlers start to combine words into simple phrases. The sentences begin as simple two-word or three-word phrases (e.g. “my toy!”) and gradually become more complex.
Within 36 Months
Your toddler will likely have 200 or more words in his vocabulary by 36 months. You won’t need to count anymore. Most kids at this age can string sentences together of three or four terms.
Your toddler will also speak more clearly. You should be able to understand 75 percent of the words your child says. This can also reduce tantrums. ).
You can expect your child to react to what you say. Around this age, you’ll start to notice that your child is using language to explain and solve problems. Prepare for storytime. Your toddler will be telling you some good stories pretty soon.
How to Teach a Baby to Talk
Casasola states that babies are hard-wired to understand language to communicate with you and get what they want. Every interaction with your baby is an opportunity to learn the language.
Use These Tips To Help You Start a Conversation and Teach Your Baby to Speak.
Tip #1: Talk and talk, and then talk some more
Casasola says that studies show how much your child talks to you is directly related to their number of words. So, simply talking to them can do wonders. When you name things, it helps your baby to connect the word with an object. This is especially true if they are the ones who show interest. Say the name of an object if your baby points at it.
You can also use visual cues to help your baby learn. Hold the ball up or point at it as you call out its name. Wood says that babies learn better in a realistic environment. For example, a child will be more likely to understand the word “more” when they’re sitting on their chair and reaching for milk than if a parent tells them they’re pouring milk while it’s out of view.
Tip #2: Avoid pronouns and use names instead
Use a name instead of “he” when referring to a particular person. The more a child hears a name, the better they will be able to connect it with a facial expression.
Tip #3: Use your words clearly
The back of the mouth and tongue are not automatically used to make a “gra”. These skills are learned. Talking slowly while articulating specific sounds, like “Grandma”, for “Grandma,” will help you teach your baby to speak.
