Which statement about infants' ability to distinguish between speech sounds is TRUE?
A) Newborns can discriminate only between speech sounds they have heard before.
B) Newborns possess an innate ability to discriminate between speech sounds they have never heard before.
C) Babies must learn to distinguish between speech sounds as they learn which contrasts are important for their native language.
D) Babies gain the ability to distinguish between speech sounds that are not used in their native language as they mature.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Newborns have an innate ability to discriminate between a wide range of speech sounds, including those they have never heard before, which is a foundational aspect of language acquisition.

Which Statement About Infants' Ability to Distinguish Between Speech Sounds