Talking To Your Baby
When a baby starts to vocalize, it is important that the adults in her life respond with appropriate words and facial expressions. This feedback encourages the baby to keep using vocal sounds and engage in social interaction. In this way, babies learn the rhythms of conversation and gain important exposure to the sounds, tones, and meanings of speech. Although a five- or six-month-old can’t understand what you’re saying, she can pause to wait for your response and, when you become silent, make additional sounds in reply. This skill, simple as it may seem, is the first step toward mastering the art of communication. Long before babies understand words, they clearly respond to the specific tone and rhythm of speech.
Parents often instinctively use BABY TALK speaking in a high-pitched voice and using one-syllable words and short sentences when addressing their babies. This type of speech, which is sometimes called MOTHERESE OTPARENTESE, can play a valuable role in babies’ acquisition of language. Breaking language down into simple components is the same accommodation we make for people who are learning a second language. Thus, as long as it comes naturally, it’s good to slow down your speech, repeat key words, and use simple language (even word distortions such as BLANKIE for blanket and BA-BA for bottle) when talking to your baby.