How early does language learning begin? It may begin even before we're born, a newly published study suggests. The study, in this month's issue of Current Biology, compared the cries of newborns in French-speaking homes with those in German-speaking homes. According to the researchers, the differences in their cries correspond to differences in the intonations of the two languages. So the assumption is that they picked up the sounds while they were in the womb.
So next time you're jealous when you run across a 2-year-old who speaks Spanish better than you do, remember that she may have been learning the language longer than you have!
Comments
That’s why I always say that if foriegn language languge should begin much eariler than high school.
This made me chuckle. Can you imagine a pre-school of students from various countries all laughing with a different intonation because they learned humor in the belly of mom?
I believe this is true. I teach ESL and subtleties do show up. And I teach adults, not children.
Since the adults often have kids, I get to see the next generation.
I think the moms must sing to the kids (some). At least it appears so. More research is needed…