Language

Recognizing Your Own Language

Identifying patterns and sounds specific to one’s native language.

Speech Segmentation

The ability to distinguish where words begin and end in continuous speech.

Infant-Directed Speech (IDS)

Speech directed at infants characterized by higher pitch, exaggerated intonation, simpler structure, and slower pace to aid language learning.

Transitional Probability

The likelihood that certain sounds follow one another in speech, helping infants identify word boundaries.

Shape Bias

The tendency for children to associate new words with the shapes of objects rather than their materials or textures.

Vocabulary Spurt

A rapid increase in word learning that typically occurs between 16-20 months of age.

Comprehension vs. Production

Comprehension is understanding language, which develops earlier, while production refers to the ability to speak or express language.

Cadence in Speech

The rhythm of speech, which infants can recognize and prefer even before birth.

Association in Language Learning

Linking sounds to words and meanings in the process of language acquisition.

Generalization in Language Learning

Applying known words to new contexts and speakers, broadening understanding.

What are the steps to master language?

Recognizing language, recognizing words, understanding and remembering word meanings, extending meanings, speaking words, combining words, and using syntax.

What are some characteristics of Infant-Directed Speech (IDS)?

Higher pitch, wider pitch range, exaggerated intonation, simpler structure, slower pace, and repetition.

At what age do infants typically recognize their own names?

By 4.5 months (Mandel, Jusczyk, & Pisoni, 1995).

How do socio-economic status (SES) differences affect vocabulary growth?

High SES families tend to talk more, leading to faster word learning, while low SES children may have delayed vocabulary growth, resulting in a language gap by 24 months (Hart & Risley, 1995; Fernald et al., 2013).

What is the role of transitional probability in speech segmentation?

Infants use transitional probabilities to identify word boundaries in continuous speech, as early as 8 months old (Saffran, Aslin, & Newport, 1996).

What developmental milestones occur between 0-30 months in language acquisition?

Recognizing language from birth, cooing (1–4 months), babbling (4–10 months), first word (10–14 months), first sentence (18–30 months), longer sentences (30+ months).

What is the significance of the 6-month language gap between SES groups by 24 months?

By 24 months, children from higher SES families have a 6-month advantage in language development compared to children from lower SES families (Fernald et al., 2013).

How does Infant-Directed Speech (IDS) aid language acquisition?

IDS helps infants segment speech and isolate words more easily due to its slower pace, higher pitch, and exaggerated intonation.

How can early word recognition be used for ASD screening?

Atypical word recognition patterns by 9 months may help prescreen for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), leading to earlier diagnosis (Miller et al., 2017).

How does language influence categorization in infants?

Language affects how infants classify objects, with new words shaping their categorization of novel objects. Children also tend to categorize objects based on shape (Samuelson & Smith, 1999).