Science Daily readings on language acquisition

Language acquisition in early childhood

Baby Talk: Infants Have Much To Say If Adults Will Only Listen

Prenatal learning

Fetus Heart Races When Mom Reads Poetry; New Findings Reveal Fetuses Recognize Mother’s Voice In-Utero

Babies' Language Learning Starts From The Womb

Mom's Voice Plays Special Role in Activating Newborn's Brain

Innateness

Born To Speak: Cornell Studies Provide Evidence Of Babies' Innate Capability To Learn Language

Children Innately Prepared To Learn Language

Secret Of Newborn's First Words Revealed

Study Finds There's A Critical Time For Learning All Languages, Including Sign Language

Infant-directed speech

Baby Talk Is Universal

Carnegie Mellon Study: Adults' Baby Talk Helps Infants Learn To Speak

Parents' Instinctive Use Of Isolated Words May Help Babies Learn Language

Early comprehension

"Mama! Dada!" Origin Of Language Pegged At 6 Months

Babies Process Language in a Grown-Up Way

Learning strategies

When It Comes To Babies Learning Language, The Eyes Have It

Infants Begin Learning Language As Early As 10 Months Researchers Find

Children's Earliest Words Stem From What Interests Them

New Thoughts On Language Acquisition: Toddlers As Data Miners

Human Brain Works Heavy Statistics Learning Language

Baby Talk: Roots Of Early Vocabulary In Infants' Learning From Speech

Babies Use Their Own Names To Help Learn Language

Young Toddlers Think In Terms Of The Whole Object, Not Just Parts

Kids Learn Words Best By Working Out Meaning

Babies' Naps Bolster Learning

Phonological development

Native Language Governs The Way Toddlers Interpret Speech Sounds

Learning To Talk Changes How Speech Is Heard: 'Sound Of Learning' Unlocked By Linking Sensory And Motor Systems

Children As Young As 19 Months Understand Different Dialects

Language and early cognition

What Are Babies Thinking Before They Start Talking?

Words Influence Infants' Cognition from First Months of Life

Patterns in word-learning

Infants Have Keen Memory For Learning Words

Why Do Children Experience A Vocabulary Explosion At 18 Months Of Age?

Children Follow Same Steps To Learn Vocabulary, Regardless Of Language Spoken

Sign language (and hearing babies)

Infants Use Sign Language To Communicate At Ohio State School

Hearing Infants Show Preference For Sign Language Over Pantomime

The role of environment in L1 acquisition

Baby Talk: Parents Do Make A Difference, By Promoting Childhood Chatter, From Birth To Age 3

Block-Play May Improve Language Development In Toddlers

Exposure to More Diverse Objects Speeds Word Learning in Tots

Late Talking Toddler: New Research Debunks The Myth

Mixed Results For Late-Talking Toddlers

Talking Seriously With Children Is Good for Their Language Proficiency

Conversing Helps Language Development More Than Reading Alone

The preschool environment

Preschoolers' Language Development Is Partly Tied To Their Classmates' Language Skills

Children in Formal Child Care Have Better Language Skills, Norwegian Study Finds

Confident Teachers Help Preschoolers More With Language and Literacy Skills

For 4-Year-Olds, Interactions With Teacher Key to Gains

Television

Infants Do Not Appear to Learn Words from Educational DVDs

Baby DVDs, Videos May Hinder, Not Help, Infants' Language Development

Children Under Three Can't Learn Action Words From TV -- Unless An Adult Helps

Young Children's Exposure To Audible Television Has Implications For Language Acquisition And Brain Development

Many Children Younger Than Two Watch TV Regularly, But Content Varies

Language delay, language disorders and other impairments

Kids With Down Syndrome Learn Language Beyond Adolescence

Developmental Language Disorders At Preschool Age: No Proof Of Benefit From Screening

Insight Into Struggles Of Children With Language Impairments

Childhood Apraxia Of Speech Cases On The Rise

Handedness and Language-Related Disorders: Gene Discovery Supports Link

Impairments In Language Development Can Be Detected In Infants As Young As 3 Months Old

A Variety Of Approaches Help Children Overcome Auditory Processing And Language Problems

Genetics Influence Adolescent Language Problems

Grappling With Grammar: How The Brain Copes In Language-Impaired Kids

Multiple Sclerosis Can Affect Children's IQ, Thinking Skills

Late talkers

Kids Who Blow Bubbles Find Language Is Child's Play

Brain Activity Abnormal In Children With Delayed Speech

Genetic Factors Partly Influence Differences In Language Development

Twin Study--Genetics Key Factor In Speech Learning

Hearing problems

Program Improves Language Skills In Deaf, Hard Of Hearing

Cochlear Implants Reduce Delay Suffered By Deaf Children In Language Acquisition, Study Shows

For Children With Hearing Loss: The Earlier the Better for Cochlear Implants, Study Finds

With Cochlear Implants, Earlier Use Leads To Better Speech

Cochlear Implants Associated With Improved Voice Control Over Time in Children Who Are Deaf

Kids With Hearing Loss in One Ear Fall Behind in Language Skills, Study Finds

Recurrent Middle Ear Infections Can Have A Major Impact On Children's Development

University of Florida To Screen All Newborns For Hearing Loss

Autism

Surprising Language Abilities In Children With Autism

Children With Autism Have Difficulty Recognizing Ordinary Words

New Language Development Toy For Autistic Children

Reading and writing

Certain Skills Are Predictors Of Reading Ability In Young Children

Early Word Recognition Is Key To Lifelong Reading Skills Says New Study

Children Better Prepared For School If Their Parents Read Aloud To Them

Reading to Kids a Crucial Tool in English Language Development

Phonics, Whole-Word And Whole-Language Processes Add Up To Determine Reading Speed, Study Shows

Russian Readers Learn To Read More Accurately And Faster

RU Kidding? Research Finds That Chatspeak Has No Impact On Children's Spelling Ability

Bilingual Approaches Produce Higher Reading Achievement, Report Says

Environment Plays Key Role in Developing Reading Skills, Study Finds

Poor Quality Teachers May Prevent Children from Reaching Reading Potential, Study Finds

The Pen May Be Mightier Than The Keyboard

Brain Structure May Play Role in Children's Ability To Learn To Read

Dyslexia and reading problems

Poor Reading Skills Have Both Physical, Environmental Causes

Differences in Language Circuits in the Brain Linked to Dyslexia: Important 'Information Highway' Less Well Organized in the Dyslexic Brain

Screening Tests To Identify Children With Reading Problems Are Being Misapplied, Study Shows

Overcoming Dyslexia: Timing Of 'Connections' In Brain Is Key

Dyslexia Varies Across Languages

Brain Images Show Individual Dyslexic Children Respond To Spelling Treatment

Dyslexia Study In Science Highlights The Impact Of English, French, And Italian Writing Systems

Bilingualism

Childhood sequential bilingualism

Internationally Adopted Children Shed Light On How Babies Learn Language

Up To A Third Of Children Adopted To Norway From Abroad Are Having Problems With Language Proficiency

Children Can Learn A Second Language In Preschool, Study Finds

Non-Native Kindergarteners Learn Vocabulary Faster Than Native English-Speakers WIth The Right Lessons

Multilingualism Brings Communities Closer Together

Immigrant Children Misdiagnosed As Language-Impaired

Childhood simultaneous bilingualism

Bilingual Babies: The Roots of Bilingualism in Newborns

Babies Raised In Bilingual Homes Learn New Words Differently Than Infants Learning One Language

Babies Able To Tell Through Visual Cues When Speakers Switch Languages

Bilingual Children More Likely To Stutter

Lower Lexical Recall In Bilingual Kids No Cause For Alarm

A Second Language Gives Toddlers an Edge

Neurology of bilingualism

Do Bilingual Persons Have Distinct Language Areas In The Brain?

How Does Language Exist In The Brain?

Dartmouth Researchers Find A Neural Signature Of Bilingualism

Crossing Borders in Language Science: What Bilinguals Tell Us About Mind and Brain

Cognitive effects of bilingualism

Brains Benefit from Multilingualism

Bilingual Benefits Reach Beyond Communication

Exposure To Two Languages Carries Far-Reaching Benefits

Bilingualism Associated With Brain Reorganization Involving Better Efficiency in Executive Functions, Research Finds

Bilingualism Delays Onset of Alzheimer's Symptoms, Study Finds

Bilingualism Has Protective Effect In Delaying Onset Of Dementia By Four Years, Canadian Study Shows

Speaking More Than One Language May Slow The Aging Process In The Mind

Bilinguals Are Unable To 'Turn Off' A Language Completely, Study Shows

Are You A Different Person When You Speak A Different Language?

Mental Math Dependant On Language, Researchers Find

Bilinguals Find It Easier to Learn a Third Language

Language attrition in bilinguals

A New Language Barrier: Why Learning A New Language May Make You Forget Your Old One

Use It Or Lose It? Study Suggests The Brain Can Remember A 'Forgotten' Language

L2 learning

Second Language Learners Recall Native Language When Reading, Brain Research Suggests

What Makes An Accent In A Foreign Language Lighter? More Empathy And Political Identification With Native Speakers

Imitating Someone's Accent Makes It Easier to Understand Them

Humans Imitate Aspects of Speech We See

Foreign Subtitles Improve Speech Perception

L2 teaching

Study Calls For New Approach To Teaching English As A Lingua Franca

Teaching a Foreign Language? Best Teach in the Accent of the Listener

What affects success in L2 learning?

Why Some People Have A Better Head For Languages

Adults Can Be Retrained To Learn Second Languages More Easily, Says UCL Scientist

Learning A Second Language: Is It All In Your Head?

New Language Learning Linked To Early Language Experience

Perception of L2 speakers

Foreign Accents Make Speakers Seem Less Truthful to Listeners, Study Finds

Psychologists Show How Accent Shapes Our Perception of a Person

Listeners' Brains Respond More to Native Accent Speakers; Imaging Study Suggests Accents Are Subtle 'Insider' or 'Outsider' Signal to the Brain

Gender and language

Building Language Skills More Critical for Boys Than Girls, Research Suggests

Girls Have Harder Time Than Boys Adjusting In Language-Learning Environment, Study Finds

Boys' And Girls' Brains Are Different: Gender Differences In Language Appear Biological

Study Confirms Males/Females Use Different Parts Of Brain In Language And Visuospatial Tasks

Study Of Language Use In Children Suggests Sex Influences How Brain Processes Words

Gesture and language

When Using Gestures, Rules Of Grammar Remain The Same

Toddlers' Gesturing Linked To Later Vocabulary And School Readiness

Hand Gestures Linked To Better Speaking

Gesturing While Talking Helps Change Your Thoughts

Neurolinguistics

Brain Memorizes Words On The Left, Faces On The Right

Miscellaneous

Preschool Kids Do Better When They Talk To Themselves, Research Shows

Do Children Understand Irony? New Study Reveals They Do

Academic Language Impedes Students' Ability to Learn Science, Expert Argues

Updated February 22, 2011