Babble away—when people use baby talk with, well, babies, it helps these wee ones learn language. Researchers at the University of Florida say that how we instinctively speak to babies—in high spiking pitches, naturally slowing our words and with exaggerated pronunciation that this not only delights and interests babies—it helps them understand what we’re saying.
“It seems to stimulate motor production of speech, not just the perception of speech,” said Matthew Masapollo, PhD, an assistant professor in UF’s Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing. “It’s not just goo-goo ga-ga.”
Baby talk is simple but it’s actually doing quite a lot, Masapollo and his colleagues shared. So, while some parents may refrain from such sing-song speech, especially in public, they can now feel emboldened to sing, squeak, squawk and ooh and ahh to their hearts content with their little one knowing they’re laying down the tracks of future language and speech.
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