You are at a daycare center and you hear three 12-month-old babies babbling,each baby from a different ethnic/linguistic background (Asian,Hispanic,and Caucasian).The babbling of each of these infants
A) will sound very similar, because maturation is the major determinant of language acquisition during the first year.
B) will consist mainly of vowel sounds, because consonant sounds don't usually emerge until 14 months of age.
C) will consist mainly of two-word phrases (telegraphic speech).
D) will sound very different, with each child's babbles sounding quite similar to the parents' native language.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Infants' babbling is influenced by their exposure to the language(s) spoken around them. Therefore, babies from different ethnic/linguistic backgrounds will produce babbling sounds that are similar to those produced by speakers of their parents' native language. This is because they are attempting to imitate the sounds they hear around them in order to learn to communicate. As a result, the babbling of the three infants in this scenario would likely sound very different from one another.

You Are at a Daycare Center and You Hear Three