Language Acquisition and Development in Infancy

👶 Babies start their journey of language acquisition even before birth, as they can hear sounds in the womb.

🗣️ From the moment they are born, babies show a preference for human voices and already begin to learn the properties of language.

👂 Babies have an incredible ability to distinguish speech sounds and show a preference for their mother tongue over unfamiliar languages.

Babies can distinguish between different parts of language at an early age.

Infants communicate through more than just words, including facial expressions and eye contact.

Babies understand that emotions can be expressed through both facial expressions and voice.

Babies instinctively know that eye contact is important in communication.

Babies are born with the ability to learn any language, but they become specialists in a specific language as they grow.

Exposure to multiple languages during the sensitive period of language development can help children learn the sounds of different languages.

👶 Babies learn language through speech and imitation.

🗣️👶 Infants respond to baby talk and communicate through gestures.

👉 Pointing is a unique communication gesture for humans.

📚 Babies learn new words by following pointing gestures and visual cues from the person speaking.

🙌 Imitation plays a crucial role in language learning, as babies imitate sounds and actions they observe.

👶 Imitation is the primary learning mechanism for infants before they can even speak.

👶 Babies recognize the structure of conversation from a young age.

🗣️ Children go through a language explosion around 18 months to 2 years old.

🧠 The brain of a baby associates sounds with words and meanings.

🔍 Researchers have found that the shape of objects is crucial for children to learn their names.

🗣️ During the language explosion, children transition from isolated words to two-word phrases.

🧒 Early interaction with parents is critical for a child's language acquisition and communication skills.