Speaking 'baby talk' to infants isn't just cute: It could help them
learn to make words

Date:
December 10, 2021
Source:
University of Florida
Summary:
By mimicking the sound of a smaller vocal tract, adults may be
cluing babies in to how the words should sound coming out of their
own mouths.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study suggests that when parents baby talk to their infants,
they might be helping them learn to produce speech.


==========================================================================
The way we instinctively speak to babies -- higher pitch, slower speed, exaggerated pronunciation -- not only appeals to them, but likely
helps them learn to understand what we're saying. New research from
the University of Florida suggests that baby talk can have another,
previously unknown benefit: helping babies learn to produce their own
speech. By mimicking the sound of a smaller vocal tract, the researchers
think, we're cluing babies in to how the words should sound coming out
of their own mouths.

"It seems to stimulate motor production of speech, not just the perception
of speech," said Matthew Masapollo, Ph.D., an assistant professor in
UF's Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and director of
the UF Laboratory for the Study of Cognition, Action, and Perception of
Speech in the College of Public Health and Health Professions. "It's not
just goo-goo ga-ga." In the study, the researchers changed the frequency sounds to mimic either an infant or adult vocal tract, and then tested
how infants reacted. Six- to eight-month-old babies "displayed a robust
and distinct preference for speech with resonances specifying a vocal
tract that is similar in size and length to their own," they wrote.

Four- to six-month old babies didn't have that preference, suggesting
that older babies' dawning ability to control their voices and make words
out of babble could be what makes the infant-like sounds more appealing.

Though baby talk may sound simple, it's accomplishing a lot, says coauthor Linda Polka, Ph.D., of McGill University.

"We're trying to engage with the infant to show them something about
speech production," she said. "We're priming them to process their own
voice." While parents are sometimes discouraged from engaging in baby
talk, Masapollo and Polka's research shows the patterns associated with
that speaking style - - which scientists call "infant-directed speech"
-- could be a key component in helping babies make words.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Florida. Original
written by Alisson Clark.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Linda Polka, Matthew Masapollo, Lucie Me'nard. Setting the Stage for
Speech Production: Infants Prefer Listening to Speech Sounds With
Infant Vocal Resonances. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing
Research, 2021; 1 DOI: 10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00412 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211210121848.htm

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