Articles tagged with Language Acquisition
Researchers found that phonetic encoding in babies emerged gradually over the first year of life, beginning with labial sounds and nasal sounds. Parents should speak to their babies using sing-song speech as soon as possible to help them learn language.
A UK national long-term study of babies found that primary caregivers engage in physical and turn-taking play with their little ones several times a day, activities linked to early language development. Despite added pressure on today's families, parents are creating a healthy home learning environment for their children.
A natural language processing model was validated to identify heart failure hospitalizations in a multicenter clinical trial, demonstrating its potential to improve the efficiency of future trials. The study suggests that natural language processing can be used at scale to identify clinical events, but further research is needed.
A study from MIT found that Tsimane' speakers who learned Spanish as a second language began to use separate words for blue and green, which are not typically used in their native language. The researchers also found that the bilingual group became more precise in describing colors such as yellow and red.
Researchers used computational models to analyze thousands of hours of transcribed audio recordings of children and adults interacting. The findings suggest that adults' ability to make context-based interpretations provides crucial feedback for babies acquiring language. These interpretations are critical for understanding what small ...
Researchers found that working memory was the most significant predictor of writing ability among English learner students. Cognitive functions such as phonological awareness and oral language development were also important, but only working memory consistently predicted higher scores in writing.
Researchers found young chimps produce sounds with varying functions similar to human infants, indicating a shared evolutionary foundation for language. This discovery challenges conventional beliefs about primate vocal production and highlights the need for further comparative studies.
A meta-analysis of 71 studies on autism suggests that people with autism may acquire language differently than neurotypical individuals. While interventions aimed at promoting social communication showed no significant language gains, some children with autism learn language without social interaction, such as through digital tablets. ...
A new technique for mapping the human auditory pathway has been developed, providing valuable insights into treating profound hearing loss. The study found lower nerve fibre density in children with profound SNHL, and highlighted the importance of early interventions to improve long-term outcomes.
A new generation of young Kurdish collectors are saving stories and songs from oblivion, with the goal of revitalizing endangered languages like Kurmanji, Sorani, and Zazaki. Their efforts aim to protect indigenous language heritage and knowledge production, which are threatened by assimilation and Western influence.
Toddlers use natural logical thinking from 19 months old to deal with uncertainties and learn language. They employ the exclusion strategy to eliminate alternatives, ruling out impossible options to reach a conclusion.
A new report argues that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities should be given equal opportunities to learn languages. Learning a second language can provide numerous benefits, including linguistic awareness, speech skills, and social interaction.
Morphological awareness plays a crucial role in deaf children learning to read and expand their vocabulary. The study found that this knowledge is more important for deaf students than phonology or phonics, offering opportunities for them to actively construct words.
A study found that dogs are more sensitive to speech directed at them than adult-directed speech, with a greater response to female voices. The researchers measured dog brain activity via fMRI and found that the sensitivity was affected by voice pitch and variation.
Researchers expand simple view of reading framework using meta-analytic structural equation modeling, validating its effectiveness for SFL learners. Decoding skills and language comprehension skills are identified as primary components for effective SFL reading instruction.
A study by University of Toronto researchers found that child language development and language evolution share a common cognitive foundation, based on a core knowledge base. The team built a computational model that predicts word meaning extension patterns across languages and time scales, highlighting the role of visual, associative,...
A team of researchers from the University of Cologne has successfully decoded a previously unknown ancient script, known as the Kushan script. The breakthrough was made possible by analyzing inscriptions found in caves, bowls, and clay pots in Central Asia, which provided key clues to deciphering the writing system.
A new teaching method in Iceland has been shown to close the gender gap in children's reading skills. The method, which focuses on letter-sound knowledge, has been successful in improving reading skills for both boys and girls.
A new study reveals that infants aged 4 to 18 months produce more protophones, the foundation of speech, when using artificial objects compared to natural ones. This suggests that man-made objects play a crucial role in developing language skills by encouraging vocalization and interaction with parents.
A new study found that male infants make 10% more utterances in the first year compared to females, but this difference switches direction by the second year. The researchers suggest that male infants may have an evolutionary advantage due to their higher mortality rate in the first year.
High levels of cortisol during the third trimester of pregnancy have been linked to improved speech and language skills in young children. Research found that boys exposed to high cortisol had better word-saying abilities, while girls showed enhanced understanding skills.
A new, free online language course is available to learn the Ojibwe language, spoken in Indigenous communities around the Great Lakes. The course uses spaced repetition software to help learners memorize vocabulary and grammar.
Researchers found that 9-month-old babies can detect non-adjacent grammatical regularities in speech when accompanied by prosody. The study used near-infrared spectroscopy to analyze brain activity and behavior, revealing that pitch signals improve learning in this age range.
Research by Professor Mila Vulchanova reveals associations between language development and cognitive skills in children. Non-verbal tests show that severity of language difficulties can be predicted based on cognitive markers, supporting the importance of measuring both verbal and non-verbal skills.
A new study from the University of East Anglia found that children with larger vocabularies look quickly towards objects when learning new words, while those with smaller vocabularies take more time and look back and forth. The research team hopes to identify children at risk for language delay earlier and provide targeted support.
A study found that bilingual readers process Latin and Chinese characters in different ways due to the formation of specialized cortical areas within the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA). In English-Chinese bilinguals, areas were only stimulated by recognition of Chinese logograms, while English-French bilinguals showed equal activation fo...
A new study found that a professional development program helped rural teachers collaborate and identify innovative solutions to support multilingual learners. The program consisted of six hybrid graduate-level courses with onsite meetings, coaching, and classroom support. Researchers found that the collaboration among teachers led to ...
British and American English speakers use the word “right” in distinct ways. In everyday conversations, Brits use “right” to signal that what they hear is informative and relevant. This linguistic difference might contribute to the stereotype that British people are smarter due to their sophisticated accent.
A recent study found that mothers struggling with depression tend to respond slower to their child during back-and-forth dialogue. This delayed response time may have long-term impacts on children's language development and academic outcomes.
A recent study by researchers at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine found that daily reading improved language development in infants 12 months and younger. Infants who received consistent daily reading started showing improvements in language scores as early as nine months of age.
The UCF team aims to improve English learners' academic success and family and community involvement through a three-pronged approach. They will provide educators with research-backed tools, increase parent engagement through Bilingual Village programs, and train alumni to maintain the program beyond the grant lifespan.
Researchers propose a new approach to studying camouflaging in the autistic population by observing strategies used to fit into society. This phenomenon, characterized as hiding diagnosis and fitting in socially, is linked to high levels of anxiety and long-term mental problems.
A new study conducted at the University of Turku found that maternal gestational diabetes mellitus may have unfavourable effects on the neurodevelopment of 2-year-old children. A healthy diet during pregnancy supports child's neurodevelopment, while higher maternal body fat percentage is associated with weaker cognitive and motor skills.
Seal pups possess an innate ability to change their voice pitch and volume, as well as recognize and respond to rhythmic sounds. This study suggests a possible evolutionary link between human-like language abilities and vocal plasticity in seals.
Researchers at Duke University found that caregivers talk more to young children who start talking, regardless of gender, rather than solely due to girls having bigger vocabularies. Girls' vocabulary advantage may be attributed to factors other than parental language input, offering insights into language development.
A new MIT study found that children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have distinct brain patterns linked to reading difficulties, differing from those of higher-SES students. The research suggests that tailored interventions may be necessary for different groups of children.
Researchers from Aarhus University found that seal pups can distinguish and react differently to various rhythms. This study provides a significant step forward in understanding human musicality and language development.
A study by Professor Dennis Murphy Odo found that automatic text simplification (ATS) software makes authentic materials more comprehensible for L2 learners with high reading proficiency. However, the tool's effectiveness is limited for learners with lower reading proficiencies. The researcher suggests that ATS tools need to be further...
Babies born during the pandemic were less likely to meet social communication developmental milestones, such as expressing a word or pointing, but more likely to crawl. Researchers suggest that lockdowns may have reduced language exposure and face-to-face interactions, leading to these delays.
A recent study at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences found that mothers' postnatal depressive moods can impact their babies' ability to distinguish speech sounds. Mothers in a negative mood tend to use less infant-directed speech, leading to delayed language development in infants.
A genome-wide analysis of five reading- and language-based skills in thousands of people identified shared biological bases. The study found genetic links with language-related brain areas and individual differences in neuroanatomy, highlighting the complex interplay between nature and nurture.
A new study suggests that voluntary imagination, rather than speech, is crucial for combinatorial language acquisition in children with language deficiencies. The research found that children who engaged in a voluntary imagination intervention showed significant improvement in language comprehension.
A recent study by Concordia researchers found that 18% of Canadian children under 10 use or are exposed to at least two languages at home, with rates varying across provinces and territories. Bilingual exposure and immigration generation were identified as key predictors of bilingualism in young children.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers fresh insights into infant word learning. Researchers found that infants between 7 and 11 months old learn words by building up memory representations over time, rather than through repeated connections between words and objects.
A new study by University of Cambridge researchers found that parents' beliefs about languages have a stronger impact on their children's attitudes than teachers or friends. This implies that efforts to reverse the national decline in language-learning should also target families, alongside schools.
A study by Tokyo University of Science researchers used WCNs with increasing n values to find features of language that cannot be analyzed using existing WCNs. They found important features in networks with more than three co-occurrences, independent of text data.
Neural speech processing matures significantly in infancy, but certain abilities like sound discrimination still develop. A study found that children from birth to 2.5 years show varying levels of maturation in auditory skills essential for language learning.
Children who started learning English in primary school performed significantly better in listening and reading comprehension in grade nine compared to those who started later. The study found that the transition between school types played a key role in the long-term success of English language education, highlighting the need for wel...
Researchers at the University of Kansas have identified a new gene target, BUD13, related to Specific Language Impairment (SLI). A family-based study found that rare variants of this gene are associated with SLI in affected individuals. The study suggests that BUD13 may be a key factor in language acquisition and holds potential for ea...
A study from MIT and UC Berkeley found a relationship between Tsimane' individuals' counting ability and their success in matching tasks up to 25. The researchers suggest that representing exact quantities larger than four requires words for those numbers.
Research finds that read-to-infants activities boost vocabulary growth during lockdown, while screen time is linked to fewer words; children learn more words than expected despite increased screen time.
A quantitative meta-analysis found that teaching with English songs enhances L2 vocabulary learning in second and foreign language classrooms. Songs from the pop music genre were more effective than textbook songs, while duration of instruction was crucial.
A recent study found that children with developmental language disorder exhibit impaired emotional regulation, particularly in early childhood. The researchers also discovered that parental emotional regulation plays a significant role in shaping their children's ability to manage emotions.
A recent study from Tel Aviv University found that mothers' smartphone use reduces toddler interaction by a factor of four. Reduced interaction can have far-reaching consequences on child development, including language and social skills. The study also found no significant difference between browsing smartphones and reading magazines.
Research from the University of Florida found that baby talk can stimulate motor production of speech in infants. By mimicking infant vocal tracts, babies learn how words should sound coming out of their mouths. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the role of baby talk in language development.
A new study from Pusan National University suggests that phonological awareness (PA) and phonics instruction can significantly improve the reading skills of English language learners. The meta-analysis of 46 studies found a moderate effect of PA and phonics on word reading, but a larger impact on pseudo-word reading.
Researchers from UC Davis MIND Institute develop a home-based language testing method using telehealth, allowing Spanish-speaking parents to assess their children's language abilities. The study found the parent-led test to be feasible, reliable, and effective in both English and Spanish-speaking groups.
A recent study found that using mechanical tools can improve understanding of complex sentences and vice versa. Researchers discovered that motor training with tools activates the same brain region as syntax exercises, suggesting that these skills rely on shared neurological resources.
Young people who consider themselves ‘multilingual’ perform better across a wide range of subjects at school, regardless of their language proficiency. Research shows that encouraging pupils to identify with languages and value different styles of communication can support academic progress.
A University of Cambridge study found that Jewish autistic children who learn Hebrew as a second language benefit from their cultural identity and community involvement. Parents and teachers rejected outdated professional advice, instead teaching pupils Hebrew to enhance their spiritual and family life.