Language Learning Patterns

언어 학습 패턴

How do babies learn language?

Babies learn language through different sensory experiences, and over time, they notice patterns. This is called "invariance detection," where babies find rules in the speech of their caregivers.

For example, when the word "kitty" is used for different cats, babies learn the connection between the word and cats. Whether it’s a real cat, a toy cat, or a cartoon cat, babies begin to understand that "kitty" refers to cats. By hearing the word in different situations, babies slowly understand its meaning as a general rule for cats.

Researchers explain that babies learn new words by recognizing patterns in sounds. Babies figure out how different sounds are linked and use this information to learn words and their meanings.

Adults also process information in a similar way. For example, adults can listen to different sounds and estimate the average pitch. This ability to remember details helps with recognizing and understanding information.

But babies’ learning is not as simple as in controlled experiments. In real life, babies have to process many types of information at once and combine them. For example, the pitch of a word can show its importance, and changes in pitch can show how the caregiver feels.

To understand this better, neuroscientific research is needed. Babies' brains first focus on details of sounds, and over time, they combine this information into broader meanings. Studying this process helps us understand how babies learn language.

Reference

https://babylab.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/papers/PiazzaNenchevaLew-Williams2021.pdf