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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 11 page paper explores what babbling is, and whether or not it is language. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
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11 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HvBablng.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
speaking and using language as a tool? This paper examines one of the earliest stages of speech development: babbling, and whether or not it is a language. Discussion Guasti says
that speech perception "is evident from birth," but speech production abilities "are not apparent before 6 months" (2004, p. 47). The first sounds infants make are cries, "vegetative sounds, and
isolated vowel-like sounds," with occasional consonants as well (Guasti, 2004, p. 47). But an "important milestone in linguistic development is the onset of babbling at around 6-8 months of age,
a precursor to language consisting of syllable sequences like bababa" (Guasti, 2004, p. 47). Alam agrees that almost no babbling takes place in the first six months of life
(1998). That is not to say that the infant makes no sound at all (other than crying), but that the vocalizations it does make are random, not purposeful (Alam, 1998).
Although the child may make a great many different sounds, there is no control and no sense of purpose behind any of them (Alam, 1998). Alam also agrees that babbling
begins at about six months of age, but he limits it to a fairly short period, from the ages of six months to one year old (Alam, 1998). Other authors
write that babbling sometimes goes on at the same time as speech, or that it can recur after having disappeared entirely; these sources are somewhat more recent than Alam, as
well see. Alam raises an interesting question: at this stage, babbling is called babbling because thats what it sounds like to adults, but do other babies understand what one is
saying when he babbles? (Alam, 1998). Alam believes its possible, saying that "one can assume that while the syllables may appear as unintelligible to adults, the syllables may actually be
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