Baby Talk

Baby talk, also referred to as caretaker speech, infant-directed speech (IDS), child-directed speech (CDS) or motherese, is usually delivered with a "cooing" pattern of intonation different from that of normal adult speech: high in pitch, with many glissando variations that are more pronounced than those of normal speech. It frequently displays hyperarticulation, which is an increase in the distances between peripheral vowels (such as [i], [u], and [a]). Baby talk is also characterized by the shortening and simplifying of words. Baby talk is similar to what is used by people when talking to their pets (pet-directed speech). When adults talk to each other using baby talk it is generally to either show affection by emulating the fondness shown by adults for children, or as a form of bullying or condescension as children are generally considered much less cognitively developed than adults, implying that the adult receiving the baby talk is less intelligent than the adult talking to them.

Studies have shown that from birth, infants prefer to listen to infant-directed speech, which is more effective than regular speech in getting and holding an infant's attention. Some researchers, including Rima Shore, believe that baby talk is an important part of the emotional bonding process between the parents and their child that helps the infants learn the language. Other researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Wisconsin confirm that using basic “baby talk” helps babies pick up words faster than usual. Infants pay more attention when parents use infant-directed language, which has a slower and more repetitive tone than used in regular conversation. This child-directed speech has also been shown in languages other than English.

Colwyn Trevarthen studied babies and their mothers, observing the communication and subtle movements between them. He has links to music therapy with other theorists.

There are numerous purposes and benefits of infant directed speech, including positive effects on the early development of infants and children, and aid in the ability of infants to bond with their caregivers. In addition, infants begin the process of speech and language acquisition and development through infant directed speech. Infant directed speech may also contribute to the modulation of infant attention, assist infants in determining relevant syntactic qualities including phonetic boundaries, and convey positive emotion to infants. The more expressive infant directed speech is, the more likely infants are to respond to this method of communication by adults.

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