Abstract
The time frame for infants' acquisition of language constancy was probed, using the phonetic variation in a rarely heard accent (South African English) or a frequently heard accent (American English). A total of 156 Australian infants were tested. Six-month-olds looked longer to Australian English than less commonly heard South African accent, but at 9 months, showed similar looking times. With the more frequently heard American accent, 3-month-olds looked longer to Australian and American English, whereas 6-month-olds looked equally. Together these results imply that in the 1st year, differential attention to native versus nonnative accents decreases as infants develop a sense of language constancy for the common native language. However, experience with the nonnative accent can expedite this process.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1686-1700 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Child Development |
| Volume | 84 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |