The effect on language development of the special characteristics of speech addressed to children

Studies of adults' speech to children indicate that adults make a number of modifications in their speech when interacting with a young child and that some of these modifications may facilitate the child's language acquisition. Modified repetitions of the child's utterances, along with certain syntactic, semantic, and cognitive simplifications, appear to be potentially effective language-teaching devices. However, the special lexicon, phonological simplification, and higher pitch that also characterize this “baby-talk” style are much less likely to play important roles in the child's language learning. The child's role in affecting these modifications in adult speech is briefly discussed, and an optimal pattern of adult-child language interaction is suggested.

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