FAQ
Q: Is there such a thing as too much motherese?
A: No! Children are especially receptive to the sounds of language. Speaking motherese provides clues for children to use in compartmentalizing speech to identify words. Infant-directed speech helps children learn better than speech patterns
typical of adult speech (Thiessen, Hill, & Saffran, 2005). In other words, simplifying speech helps children learn more quickly!
Q: Do infants respond more to motherese from the mother?
A: Generally speaking, infants respond more strongly to those with whom they have had the most interactions and exposure. In many cases, the mother usually has the most contact with the infant. Overall, however, infants show preferences for anyone using infant-directed speech. (Schachner & Hannon, 2011). This means dad is included!
Q: What age range benefits most from motherese?
A: Newborns, infants, toddlers, and young children.
Q: What age should I stop using motherese and speak normally?
A: Each individual child learns at their own pace; however, it would probably be developmentally appropriate to stop using baby talk before adolescence.
Q: I'm too masculine to talk motherese. Is it okay if my wife does the baby talk?
A: Children benefit from having both parents speak and interact with them. Infant-directed speech is also known as motherese or fatherese. Motherese just so happens to be the more commonly used term of the two, but it's not just just for mothers! A father's presence, in interacting and caring for their child, is important to a child's overall well-being and emotional development (Davidov & Grusec, 2006; Ryan, Martin & Brooks-Gunn, 2006; Stoltz, Barber, & Olsen, 2005; Hawkins et al., 2008; Lamb, 2010).
Q: Does television or other media make a good substitution for motherese?
A: While some educational television programs and other similar media may help encourage intellectual development, they do not serve as an adequate replacement for a child's need for face-to-face interaction. Participation in a normal social environment provides exposure to how language is used and understood, which is crucial for the development of language. It also provides learning opportunities for children to become better communicators (Clark, 2008, 2010; Hoff, 2006; Tomasello, 2011).
Q: If my child doesn't seem to understand my gibberish, should I hire a translator?
A: Sadly, there is not yet any known translation for babyese.
A: No! Children are especially receptive to the sounds of language. Speaking motherese provides clues for children to use in compartmentalizing speech to identify words. Infant-directed speech helps children learn better than speech patterns
typical of adult speech (Thiessen, Hill, & Saffran, 2005). In other words, simplifying speech helps children learn more quickly!
Q: Do infants respond more to motherese from the mother?
A: Generally speaking, infants respond more strongly to those with whom they have had the most interactions and exposure. In many cases, the mother usually has the most contact with the infant. Overall, however, infants show preferences for anyone using infant-directed speech. (Schachner & Hannon, 2011). This means dad is included!
Q: What age range benefits most from motherese?
A: Newborns, infants, toddlers, and young children.
Q: What age should I stop using motherese and speak normally?
A: Each individual child learns at their own pace; however, it would probably be developmentally appropriate to stop using baby talk before adolescence.
Q: I'm too masculine to talk motherese. Is it okay if my wife does the baby talk?
A: Children benefit from having both parents speak and interact with them. Infant-directed speech is also known as motherese or fatherese. Motherese just so happens to be the more commonly used term of the two, but it's not just just for mothers! A father's presence, in interacting and caring for their child, is important to a child's overall well-being and emotional development (Davidov & Grusec, 2006; Ryan, Martin & Brooks-Gunn, 2006; Stoltz, Barber, & Olsen, 2005; Hawkins et al., 2008; Lamb, 2010).
Q: Does television or other media make a good substitution for motherese?
A: While some educational television programs and other similar media may help encourage intellectual development, they do not serve as an adequate replacement for a child's need for face-to-face interaction. Participation in a normal social environment provides exposure to how language is used and understood, which is crucial for the development of language. It also provides learning opportunities for children to become better communicators (Clark, 2008, 2010; Hoff, 2006; Tomasello, 2011).
Q: If my child doesn't seem to understand my gibberish, should I hire a translator?
A: Sadly, there is not yet any known translation for babyese.