Overview
This lecture covers the early stages of speech and language development in infants, including biological readiness, early vocalizations, and the emergence of first words.
Biological Foundations of Language Development
- Humans are altricial, meaning infants are born completely dependent on caregivers for survival and development.
- Sensory abilities, especially hearing, are functional before birth, allowing exposure to sounds in utero.
- By 18 weeks gestation, fetuses can hear sounds; by 26 weeks, they react to external noises, including speech.
Early Vocalizations and Interaction
- Newborns initially cry reflexively to express needs, not intentionally.
- Caregiver response to cries reinforces the infant’s use of vocalization for attention and needs.
- Early sounds also include sneezes, burps, coughs, and gurgles.
- Vocal play with vowel sounds, known as cooing, typically begins around 2 months of age.
Stages of Babbling
- Babbling starts after cooing and involves both vowels and consonants.
- Marginal (transitional) babbling features intermittent consonants, often K or G sounds.
- Reduplicated babbling (6–7 months): repetitive use of the same consonant-vowel combination (e.g., “baba”).
- Variegated babbling (9–18 months): mixing different consonant and vowel sounds.
- Jargon: babbling with adult-like intonation, mimicking the melody and rhythm of real speech.
Emergence of First Words
- First words typically appear between 9–12 months of age.
- A sound combination counts as a first word if it is used purposefully, consistently, and resembles the adult word for the same referent.
- Phonetically consistent forms (PCFs) are unique, repeated sound patterns representing specific people or objects, even if not adult-like.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Altricial — describes beings born helpless and dependent on caregivers.
- Cooing — early vowel-like sounds produced by infants, usually around 2 months.
- Babbling — repetitive or varied consonant-vowel combinations produced after cooing.
- Marginal Babbling — transitional babbling with intermittent consonants.
- Reduplicated Babbling — repetition of the same syllable (e.g., “dada”).
- Variegated Babbling — mixed syllables and sounds in babbling.
- Jargon — babble with intonation matching adult speech but without real words.
- Phonetically Consistent Form (PCF) — unique, consistent sound patterns used by a child for specific people or objects.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the uploaded PowerPoint and watch the embedded videos as assigned in the module.
- Study the vocabulary terms for this module.
- Prepare for next week's lecture by reflecting on the stages of speech development.