Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T23:32:50.309Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The determinants of baby talk: relationship to context*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Laura D'Odorico  and
Fabia Franco
Laura D'Odorico
Affiliation:
Università di Padova
Fabia Franco
Affiliation:
Università di Padova
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between context and mothers' speech to prelinguistic infants. In the first phase, videorecordings of a mother talking with her infant were transcribed; in the second phase, 48 mothers were asked to select the utterance most apt for a series of drawings representing different contexts of mother–infant interaction. Data analyzed with respect to syntactic and semantic features revealed that the informational content of mothers' speech is different in relation to various contexts. Furthermore, different syntactic types are chosen in relation to different contents. Results are discussed in relation to a hypothesis assuming that mothers' speech is determined by particular interactive rules operating in the mother–infant dyad.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , October 1985 , pp. 567 - 586
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bingham, N. E. (1971). Maternal speech to prelinguistic infants: differences related to maternal judgments of infant language competence. Unpublished paper, Cornell University.Google Scholar
Bloom, L. (1971). Language in a context, why not pivot grammar? JSHD 1. 40–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruner, J. (1975). The ontogenesis of speech acts. JChLang 2. 1–19.Google Scholar
Collis, G. M. (1977). Visual co-orientation and maternal speech. In Schaffer, H. R. (ed.), Studies in mother–infant interaction. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Ferguson, C. (1977). Baby talk as a simplified register. In Snow, C. & Ferguson, C. (eds), Talking to children. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
Garnica, O. K. (1977). Some prosodic and paralinguistic features of speech to young children. In Snow, C. & Ferguson, C. (eds), Talking to children. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
Jacobson, J. L., Boersma, D. C., Fields, R. B. & Olson, K. L. (1983). Paralinguistic features of adult speech to infants and small children. CLDev 54. 436–42.Google Scholar
Kaye, K. (1980). Why we don't talk ‘baby talk’ to babies. JChLang 7. 480–507.Google Scholar
Labov, W. (1972). The study of language in its social context. In Labov, W., Sociolinguistic patterns. Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia Press.Google Scholar
Lederberg, A. R. (1982). A framework for research on preschool children's speech modifications. In Kuczaj, S. A. II (ed.), Language development, Vol. 2. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Levorato, M. C. & D'Odorico, L. (1983). Determinant sociali e cognitive dello sguardo reciproco tra madre e bambino. In Attili, G. & Bitti, P. Ricci (ed), Comunicare senza parole. Rome: II Pensiero Scientifico.Google Scholar
McDonald, L. & Pien, D. (1982). Mother conversational behavior as a function of interactional intent. JChLang 9. 337–58.Google Scholar
Masur, E. F. (1982). Mothers' responses to infants' object-related gestures: influences on lexical development. JChLang 9. 23–30.Google Scholar
Messer, D. J. (1978). The integration of mothers' referential speech with joint play. ChDev 49. 781–7.Google Scholar
Messer, D. J. (1980). The episodic structure of maternal speech to young children. JChLang 7. 29–40.Google Scholar
Nelson, K. (1977). The conceptual basis for naming. In MacNamara, J. (ed.), Language learning and thought. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Newson, J. (1978). Dialogue and development. In Lock, A. (ed.), Action, gesture and symbol: the emergence of language. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Penman, R., Cross, T., Milgram-Friedman, J. & Meares, R. (1983). Mothers' speech to prelingual infants: a pragmatic analysis. JChLang 10. 17–34.Google Scholar
Remick, H. (1976). Maternal speech to children during language acquisition. In von Raffier-Engel, W. & Lebrun, Y. (eds), Baby talk and infant speech. Lisse: Swets & Zeilinger.Google Scholar
Ryan, M. L. (1978). Contour in context. In Campbell, R. N. & Smith, P. T. (eds), Recent advances in the psychology of language. New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Sachs, J., Brown, R. & Salerno, R. A. (1976). Adults' speech to children. In von Raffler-Engel, W. & Lebrun, Y. (ed), Baby talk and infant speech. Lisse: Swets & Zeilinger.Google Scholar
Sachs, J. & Devin, J. (1976). Young children's use of the appropriate speech styles. JChLang 3. 81–98.Google Scholar
Schaffer, H. R. (1977). Early interactive development. In Schaffer, H. R. (ed.), Studies in mother–infant interaction. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Shatz, M. & Gelman, R. (1973). The development of communication skills: modifications in the speech of young children as a function of listeners. Monogr. Soc. Res. Ch. Devel. 152. 38, No. 5.Google Scholar
Snow, C. (1977 a). Mothers' speech research: from input to interaction. In Snow, C. & Ferguson, C. A. (eds), Talking to children: language input andacquisition. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
Snow, C. (1977 b). The development of conversation between mothers and babies. JChLang 4. 1–22.Google Scholar
Snow, C. (1978). The conversational context of language acquisition. In Campbell, R. N. & Smith, P. T. (eds), Recent advances in the psychology of language. New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Snow, C., Arlmann-Rupp, A., Hassing, Y.Jobse, H., Joosten, J. & Vorster, J. (1976). Mothers' speech in three social classes. JPsycholing Res 5. 1–20.Google Scholar
Vorster, J. (1975). Mommy linguist: the case for motherese. Lingua 37. 281–312.Google Scholar