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Baby talk, motherese, parentese, or child-directed speech (CDS) is a non-standard form of speech used by adults, particularly mothers, in talking to toddlers and infants. more...
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It is usually delivered with a "cooing" pattern of intonation which is different from normal adult speech: high in pitch, and with many glissando-like rises and falls in pitch which are exaggerated by comparison with normal speech. Parents will refer to the child and others by their name only (no he's, I's, or you's) so as not to confuse infants who have yet to form an identity independent from their parents. Often the shortening and simplifying of words, by adults for children, is more commonly called baby talk. Baby talk is also used by pet owners when talking to their pets, and between adults as a form of affectionate intimacy.
Terminology
Baby talk is a long-established and universally understood traditional term.;
Motherese is more precise than baby talk, and perhaps more amenable to computer searches, but is disliked by child development professionals (and by critics of gender stereotyping) because all caregivers, not just mothers, use distinct speech patterns and vocabulary when talking to young children. Alternatives such as parentese have not caught on. Motherese often refers specifically to otherwise English spoken in a higher, gentle manner but that is otherwise ordinary correct English, and not to the non-standard, shortened forms of words.;
Child-directed speech or CDS is the term preferred by researchers, psychologists, and child development professionals.;
Possible purposes
One basic reason for baby talk is that it catches an infant's attention more readily than regular speech does. Some researchers, including Rima Shore (1997) believe that baby talk is an important part of the emotional bonding process.
Shore and other researchers also believe that baby talk contributes to mental development. They say it plays a role in teaching the child the basic function and structure of language. Studies have found that even replying to babble with meaningless babble aids language acquisition, because even though the babble itself conveys no logical meaning, the interaction teaches infants that speech is bidirectional communication. Some experts advise that parents should not talk to infants and young children solely in baby talk, but include some normal adult speech as well. The high pitch of motherese gives it special acoustic properties which may be appealing to the infant (Goodluck 1991). Motherese may also serve to aid a child in the acquisition and/or comprehension of language-particular rules which are otherwise unpredictable utilizing principles of universal grammar (Goodluck 1991).
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