evidence suggesting lang development starts before birth:
- DeCasper & Spencce 1986: babies sucked on their dummies more when mother read them a the same story they'd also read during their last 6months of pregnancy.
- Mehler et al 1988: 4 day old babies increased sucking rate on dummy (showing recognition) when hearing French, as opposed to Italian or English
- Fitzpatrick 2002: heart rate of unborn baby slowed down when hearing mother's voice
....suggests in womb babies become familiar with sounds, rhythms & intonations
Period between bith & first word spoken: pre-verbal or pre-language stage.
Crying: 1st main vocal expression, indicates hunger, discomfort or pain to caregiver.
Not a conscious act but an instinctive reponse to how it feels.
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