In what way are newborns more linguistically sophisticated than the average adult?
A) They do not habituate to new phonemes.
B) They can produce more phonemes.
C) They can distinguish between phonemes from all languages.
D) They have no particular linguistic advantages over adults.

Question

In what way are newborns more linguistically sophisticated than the average adult?
A) ​They do not habituate to new phonemes.
B) ​They can produce more phonemes.
C) ​They can distinguish between phonemes from all languages.
D) ​They have no particular linguistic advantages over adults.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Newborns have the ability to distinguish between phonemes from all languages, a skill that diminishes over time as they specialize in the phonemes of the languages they are exposed to regularly. Adults, on the other hand, typically lose this universal phonemic awareness and become more attuned to the specific sounds of the languages they speak.

In What Way Are Newborns More Linguistically Sophisticated Than the Average