The distinctive mode of speech used when speaking to infants and toddlers is referred to as
A) infant-directed speech.
B) prosody.
C) pragmatics.
D) syntax.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Infant-directed speech is a specific way that adults speak to infants and toddlers, characterized by exaggerated intonation, higher pitch, slower tempo, simpler vocabulary, and repetition. Prosody refers to the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech, which is part of infant-directed speech but also applies to adult communication. Pragmatics refers to the social use of language, which is not specific to infant-directed speech. Syntax refers to the rules governing the structure of sentences, which is also not specific to infant-directed speech.

The Distinctive Mode of Speech Used When Speaking to Infants