Baby talk is similar in many languages: A surprising study

While it might seem that baby talk consists of nonsense, it actually has some characteristics, and they might be similar in different languages.

A recent study conducted by the University of York and Aarhus University has discovered that "baby talk" or infant-directed speech exhibits similar characteristics across 36 different languages.

Let's find out more!

More about testing

Baby talk refers to the way caregivers communicate with young infants using a high-pitched, slow-paced, and animated speech pattern.

The specialists aimed to determine whether IDS possesses universal qualities and whether it undergoes changes as children's language and speech abilities develop.

Through a meta-analytic approach, they examined previous studies on IDS and found that certain features such as pitch, melody, and articulation rates are consistent across most languages.

However, the degree to which caregivers exaggerate the differences between vowel sounds varied significantly among the languages studied.

Why it's important

The study also shows the evolving nature of IDS as infants acquire a better understanding of language, with some features becoming more similar to adult speech while others, like high pitch and exaggerated vowels, persist into early childhood.

The specialists emphasized the need for further investigation into understudied, non-Western languages to gain a deeper understanding of IDS and its role in child development.
 

• Related news:
• children
• baby talk
• research
• development
• brain
• 24 July 2023

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