How babies learn to talk ⏲️ 6 Minute English

Summary

In this episode of BBC's *6 Minute English*, Phil and Georgie discuss how babies learn to speak, focusing on the stages of babbling and word association. Expert Professor Julian Pine explains how babies break down speech into words and link them to objects, a complex process that includes recognizing stressed syllables and overcoming linguistic ambiguity. Common language errors, such as omitting unstressed syllables, are also discussed. The episode highlights key vocabulary related to language development, including terms like 'babble,' 'error,' and 'ambiguous,' and provides insights into the fascinating process of early speech development.

Takeaways

• 😀 Babies start to make 'babbling' noises around six months old, which is an early stage of language development.
• 😀 The 'babble' stage involves babies experimenting with sounds like 'ga' and 'ma' as they learn to control mouth muscles.
• 😀 Babies learn to speak by observing and imitating the adults around them.
• 😀 Professor Julian Pine explains that babies first learn to break down the speech stream into individual words.
• 😀 One of the first things babies need to do is associate words with the objects they represent in their environment.
• 😀 A key skill for babies is recognizing stressed syllables in words, as this is common in English speech patterns.
• 😀 Children often make errors when learning to speak, such as calling a giraffe 'raffe' or a banana 'nana' due to unfamiliar unstressed syllables.
• 😀 A 'classic example' refers to the best or most typical example of something, like how ants exemplify cooperation.
• 😀 As babies continue learning, they must link a word to its meaning and understand its context, even when speech signals can be ambiguous.
• 😀 The process of linking words to meanings is challenging for babies because they must figure out the specific object or concept a word refers to.
• 😀 Adults take for granted the obvious link between words and their meanings, but babies must work out these connections, which can be ambiguous.

Q & A

What is the first stage of language development for babies mentioned in the script?

The first stage is called 'babble', where babies make simple sounds like 'ga' or 'ma'.

How do babies learn to speak, according to Georgie?

Georgie suggests that babies watch and imitate the adults around them to learn to speak.

What skills do babies develop to learn to speak, according to Professor Julian Pine?

Professor Pine lists two key skills: breaking down the speech stream into words and linking those words to the objects they refer to.

At what age do babies typically start babbling, according to the script?

Babies typically start babbling at around six months old.

What is a 'classic example' as mentioned in the script?

A 'classic example' refers to the most typical or best example of something, containing all expected features. For instance, ants working together is a classic example of animals cooperating.

Why do young children often make errors in pronunciation, like calling a giraffe a 'raffe'?

Young children make these errors because they tend to leave off unstressed syllables, which are less emphasized in English.

What is the challenge babies face when learning to link words to objects?

Babies find it difficult to link words to objects because there are many possible meanings, and the speech signal is often ambiguous.

What does it mean to 'take something for granted'?

'To take something for granted' means to assume or accept something without questioning it, such as assuming a word's meaning without considering the difficulty a child faces in making that connection.

What is an example of a common error made by babies when learning to speak, as discussed in the program?

A common error is saying 'nana' instead of 'banana', as children often omit unstressed syllables.

What does the term 'ambiguous' mean in the context of language learning?

'Ambiguous' means that something has more than one possible meaning, which makes it harder for babies to understand the exact reference of a word.