How Do Babies Acquire Knowledge?

The language learning abilities of infants are astonishing and manifest quite early. The latest research shows that babies acquire the grammatical rules of language at an incredible speed. The advancement of linguistic sciences enables us to better understand how infants respond to linguistic stimuli and how they process them.

Infants’ brains are highly receptive to linguistic structures, which can be observed as early as four months of age. In studies, German infants were played Italian sentences, and EEG measurements indicated that babies can store syntactic relationships in less than fifteen minutes and can also respond to different linguistic patterns. This discovery sheds new light on the early stages of language acquisition and challenges previous theories.

Research at the intersection of linguistics and child psychology provides important information for parents and educators, as language acquisition is fundamental to children’s development. From the earliest months, infants can explore the connections between words, and this ability forms the basis for mastering grammar.

The language learning process of infants

The language learning process of infants begins quite early, and according to the latest research, babies’ brains can process linguistic information extremely quickly. Researchers have observed that four-month-old infants are able to understand the syntactic relationships between linguistic elements. Based on EEG measurements, babies can respond to linguistic patterns in less than eighteen minutes, distinguishing between correct and incorrect sentences.

This ability is crucial, as during language learning, they must not only learn words but also understand linguistic structures. Research has shown that babies recognize not only the relationships between syllables but also the relationships between elements that are far apart in a sentence.

The recognition of grammatical rules appears much earlier for infants than previously assumed. Previous theories suggested that children’s linguistic abilities develop around eighteen months of age; however, new research indicates that this process begins much earlier.

The effect of linguistic stimuli on infants’ brains

Infants’ brains are extremely sensitive to linguistic stimuli, and studies conducted by researchers have shown that the brain activity of infants significantly differs when listening to correct versus incorrect sentences. EEG curves indicate that in the initial phase, babies exhibit similar brain activity; however, after a quarter of an hour of learning, the differences become clear.

This discovery suggests that infants can respond to variations in linguistic structures, even if they cannot yet comprehend content errors. This early linguistic sensitivity allows them to automatically filter syntactic relationships from the sentences they hear. Their brains are actively working on processing linguistic elements, and this ability plays a fundamental role in the later stages of language learning.

Infants’ language development is also closely linked to parental interaction. Babies who grow up in a rich linguistic environment often perform better in language learning. The linguistic patterns used by parents and their communication styles significantly impact children’s language development.

In-utero development and linguistic sensitivity

The language learning abilities of infants begin during in-utero development. The fetus perceives numerous external stimuli in the womb and responds to sounds and music. Research indicates that fetuses can react to their mother’s voice, and this early interaction fundamentally influences later language development.

During in-utero life, the fetus has a close connection with the mother, which affects not only physical but also psychological development. The mother’s mood, health, and emotional states all contribute to the fetus’s development. After birth, infants calm down to familiar sounds, indicating that linguistic sensitivity develops even in utero.

This process highlights that language development does not merely begin after birth but starts long before. Therefore, the role of parents and the environment is significant in children’s language development, and early interactions are crucial for language learning. Infants’ language development is a complex process that spans from the in-utero period to early childhood, influenced by numerous factors.