The Conversation article: Babies as young as 4 months can tell how the sounds of different languages are made – new research

Doctor Eylem Altuntas

Press/Media

Description

This article discusses our new research showing that infants as young as four months old can discern how different languages’ sounds are produced. The findings suggest that babies are sensitive to articulatory features of speech before they undergo perceptual attunement to their native language. This challenges previous assumptions about the timing of phonetic learning and highlights the early foundation of language acquisition.

Subject

Babies as Early Language Detectives: Identifying Speech Sound Patterns at Four Months

Period	29 Jan 2025

Media contributions

Title	Babies as young as 4 months can tell how the sounds of different languages are made – new research
Degree of recognition	International
Media name/outlet	The Conversation
Media type	News
Duration/Length/Size	800 words
Country/Territory	Australia
Date	29/01/25
Description	Babies are like little detectives, constantly piecing together clues about the world around them. If you’ve ever noticed your baby staring at you while you talk, it’s because they’re picking up on more than just sounds – they’re learning how those sounds are made. Our recent study, published in Developmental Science, shows this amazing process starts as early as four months old, shaking up the old belief that babies learn these patterns only after tuning in to their native language between 6 and 12 months of age.
Producer/Author	Eylem Altuntas
URL	https://theconversation.com/babies-as-young-as-4-months-can-tell-how-the-sounds-of-different-languages-are-made-new-research-248225?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=bylinefacebookbutton&fbclid=IwY2xjawIGXk9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRItrR8VGIf1Zo-C_kDtIUKJHmtDzzIDTLRWBmKHKY3C_xB3OmWogPrXxg_aem_f_Fxjm8PQJdOeMAYapjGGA
Persons	Eylem Altuntas

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Keywords

infants
language
early childhood development
language learning
speech perception