The linguistic genius of babies | Patricia Kuhl

Summary

In this enlightening talk, the speaker explores the critical period for language acquisition in infants, highlighting how babies are initially 'citizens of the world' capable of discerning all language sounds. The presentation delves into the neurological changes that occur as they become attuned to the specific sounds of their native language, emphasizing the importance of early exposure. It also demonstrates that social interaction is crucial for language learning, as babies exposed to Mandarin during a critical period can acquire it as effectively as native speakers. The speaker concludes by envisioning a future where understanding the child's brain could lead to new interventions for learning difficulties.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The human brain undergoes significant development during infancy, particularly in the area of language acquisition.
• 👀 Babies are born with the ability to discern all the sounds of all languages, a skill that diminishes as they grow older.
• 📉 There is a critical period for language learning, with children showing a sharp decline in their ability to acquire second languages after the age of seven.
• 🌐 Babies are considered 'citizens of the world' in their early months, being able to differentiate sounds from any language.
• 📉 By their first birthday, babies transition from being 'citizens of the world' to being language-bound listeners, influenced by the sounds of their native language.
• 📈 Babies take in language by 'taking statistics' on the speech they hear, which helps them adapt to the language they are exposed to.
• 🗣️ The distribution of sounds in different languages, like English and Japanese, is distinct and affects how babies learn language.
• 🧑‍👧 Interaction with humans, not just exposure to language through screens or audio, is crucial for babies to learn and take in language statistics.
• 🧬 Neuroscience and techniques like magnetoencephalography (MEG) allow researchers to observe the brain's activity in real-time as babies learn.
• 🌟 The study of child brain development is entering a 'golden age,' promising deeper insights into cognitive and emotional growth.
• 🌱 Understanding the critical periods in a child's brain development could lead to brain-based interventions for children with learning difficulties.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speaker's discussion on the baby's brain?

The speaker focuses on the development of a baby's brain, particularly the critical period for language acquisition and how it changes from being able to discern all sounds of all languages to becoming culture-bound.

What does the speaker refer to as the 'celestial openness' of a child's mind?

The 'celestial openness' refers to the innate ability of children to absorb and learn languages effortlessly, as described by romantic writers and poets, which modern neuroscience is beginning to understand.

Why is it important for the mother in India to speak Koro to her baby?

It is important because to preserve the Koro language, which is spoken by only 800 people in the world, it needs to be passed on to the next generation through speaking to babies, highlighting the critical period for language learning.

What does the slide with the age on the horizontal axis and language acquisition skill on the vertical axis illustrate?

The slide illustrates the critical period for language learning, showing that children are highly skilled at acquiring a second language until the age of seven, after which there is a systematic decline in this ability.

What technique do researchers use to study how babies learn the sounds of their language?

Researchers use a technique where babies are trained to turn their heads when a sound changes, and if they do so correctly, a visual reward is provided, such as a panda bear pounding a drum.

Why are babies described as 'citizens of the world' in terms of their language abilities?

Babies are described as 'citizens of the world' because they can discriminate all the sounds of all languages, regardless of the country or language being tested, unlike adults who are limited to the sounds of their own language.

What happens to babies' language abilities around their first birthday?

Around their first birthday, babies transition from being able to discern all language sounds to becoming more attuned to the sounds of the language they are regularly exposed to, thus becoming culture-bound listeners.

What does the speaker suggest about the importance of statistics in language learning for babies?

The speaker suggests that babies take statistics on the language they hear, meaning they absorb the frequency and patterns of sounds, which influences their developing language abilities and changes their brains accordingly.

How did the speaker's lab test the ability of babies to learn a new language during the critical period?

The lab exposed American babies, who had never heard Mandarin before, to the language during the critical period and compared their performance to babies in Taiwan who had been exposed to Mandarin from birth.

What role does the human interaction play in language learning for babies, according to the speaker's experiments?

Human interaction is crucial for language learning in babies; the experiments showed that exposure to language through television or audio alone did not improve language learning, but interaction with a human being did.

What technology does the speaker mention for observing the brain activity of babies as they learn?

The speaker mentions the use of magnetoencephalography (MEG), a noninvasive and silent technology that can accurately measure the brain's magnetic fields during cognitive processes like language learning.

What broader implications does the speaker foresee for understanding the child's brain development?

The speaker foresees a 'grand and golden age of knowledge' regarding child brain development, where insights gained could lead to brain-based interventions for children with learning difficulties and a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.