Infant-directed speech is consistent with teaching.

Infant directed speech is consistent with teaching

Infant-directed speech (IDS) has distinctive properties that differ from adult-directed speech (ADS). Why it has these properties-and whether they are intended to facilitate language learning-is a matter of contention. We argue that much of this disagreement stems from lack of a formal, guiding theory of how phonetic categories should best be taught to infantlike learners. In the absence of suc...

THEORETICAL NOTE Infant-Directed Speech Is Consistent With Teaching

Infant-directed speech (IDS) has distinctive properties that differ from adult-directed speech (ADS). Why it has these properties—and whether they are intended to facilitate language learning—is a matter of contention. We argue that much of this disagreement stems from lack of a formal, guiding theory of how phonetic categories should best be taught to infantlike learners. In the absence of suc...

Infant-Directed Speech Is Modulated by Infant Feedback

Quantity in Infant-directed Speech

This paper reports on an investigation of how the phonological rule of the complementary relationship between vowel and consonant duration is manifested in Swedish infant-directed speech (IDS), as compared to adult-directed speech (ADS). Cross-linguistic investigations indicate that vowels tend to be prolonged in speech directed to infants. In contrast, there are signs that consonants may be sh...

Categorization of Infant-Directed Speech

that adult caregivers begin talking to infants during the newborn period and continue this form of interaction throughout the infancy period. Caregivers engage in these interactions even though young infants themselves can neither reciprocate with language nor comprehend the language that they hear. The type of language adults produce when talking to infants has been labeled infant-directed (ID...