By Brooklyn Neustaeter, Editor, CTVNews.ca

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TORONTO, Ontario (CTV Network) – A new study suggests that when parents talk to their babies about babies, they can actually help babies learn to speak real words.

The study, conducted by researchers at McGill University and the University of Florida, found that mimicking the sound of a smaller vocal tract – such as that used in baby speeches or ‘speech intended for infants’ – could tell babies how words should sound out of their own mouths.

According to the study, baby words occur when parents use appropriate words that are pronounced in a higher pitch, at a slower speed, and with exaggerated, singing pronunciation. This not only appeals to babies, the researchers say, but also likely helps them learn to understand what parents are saying.

“It appears to stimulate motor production of speech, not just perception of speech,” said Matthew Masapollo, study co-author and assistant professor at the University of Florida, in a press release. “It’s not just goo-goo ga-ga.”

The findings were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research on Friday.

To conduct the study, the researchers changed the frequency of speech sounds to mimic the vocal tracts of an infant or adult. They then tested how the infants reacted to each sound by having them.

A small vocal tract, which resembles that of babies, leads to higher-pitched sounds, while an adult’s large vocal tract creates a lower-pitched sound, according to the study.

The researchers analyzed responses from more than 60 babies and found that babies aged six to eight months “exhibited a strong and distinct preference for speech with resonances specifying a vocal tract similar in size and length to their own.”

However, babies aged four to six months did not have this preference, according to the study. Researchers say this suggests that older babies’ ability to control their voices and create words from babbling may be what makes baby sounds “more appealing.”

“This finding, along with data indicating that this preference is not present in younger infants and appears to increase with age, suggests that nascent knowledge of the motor pattern of the vocal tract may play a role in the formation of this. perceptual bias, supporting current trends. patterns of speech development, ”the study authors wrote.

While baby’s words may seem straightforward, study co-author and McGill associate professor Linda Polka said she is “doing a lot” when it comes to developing a baby.

“We try to engage with the infant to show him something about speech production,” Polka said in the statement. “We prepare them to process their own voice. “

While parents are sometimes discouraged from engaging in baby talk, the study reports that the patterns associated with this style of speaking “could be a key component in helping babies make words” and should be continued with. infants.

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