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PARENTESE AND BABY TALK
Course Code: ENG 407
Course title: Language Acquisition and Development

Submitted by:
Nahyan Anwari ID no: 15116017
Sanjida Sultana ID no: 15116015
Fourth Year, Second Semester
Department of English
University of Asia Pacific

Submitted to:
Mrs. Arjumand Ara
Assistant Professor
Department of English
University of Asia Pacific
Outline
• Introduction
• Parentese
• Characteristics of Parentese
• Baby Talk
•Conclusion
• Reference
INTRODUCTION
• Speech style is one important aspect of
language input early in life.

• Language input has substantial impact on

language learning in children.

• When caregivers speak directly to their infants

and young children, they often use a distinct
speech style, which is commonly called “baby
talk” or “parentese speech”.

• Helps children’s brains separate one sound from

another as you talk.
PARENTESE
PARENTESE
• The sort of speech that children receive when
they are young.

• The nature of the speech and environmental

input which children receive is important for
language learning.

• Input should be suitable and personal.

• Limited and impersonal input distort language

acquisition.
CHARACTERISTICS OF PARENTESE
Short Sentences and Simple Structures

Parents use simple sentences when they

talk to children [Subject,Verb,Object]

Compound and complex sentences are not

found in parentese.
Short and Simple Vocabulary

When talking to children, parents use

simple words. [common words]

Technical, formal and scientific words are

not found in parentese.

Give / provide.
 See / notice
Hard / tough
CONTINUED…
Parents also use simplified phonology and
structure of words.

For example:
byebye not good bye

wawa not water

mama not mother

choo-choo not train

CONTINUED…
Exaggerated phonology:

Includes exaggerated intonation..

Slow tempo .. And high pitch.

Stress is sometimes overused to make

children understand.

Pauses are also used repeatedly to help

children to follow the parents’ speech.
CONTINUED…
Example of parentese / baby talk

First I saw the white bird then I saw the black

bear then I saw the camel with a hump on his
back. Then I saw the elephant and waving of
his trunk. Yes the elephant waves his trunk.
Then I saw the monkeys, mercy how
unpleasantly they smelt. Yak, monkeys smelly
but very funny. I laugh.

 Rivaldo play football. He play like magician.

Rivaldo kick the ball. Rivaldo scores.
BABY TALK

• A form of parentese, but it contains an

overly simplified vocabulary and syntax.

• Originally baby talk is taken from children

language.

• Some children words are standardized as

vocabulary from baby talk.
FEATURES OF BABY TALK

• Vocabulary:

• Generally, words are modified to suit children

abilities. Then they are used by parents.

• Sometimes they imitate the sounds made by

the entity it refers to [ bow-wow] for dog
[mow for cat] [choo-choo] for train [vurr vurr]
for car.
CONTINUED

• Syntax:

• Syntax is less important in baby talk.

• Parents use speech that looks like telegraphic

speech [remember the characteristics of
telegraphic speech?]

• Names are used instead of personal pronouns.

[Daddy love John, instead of [I love you].
CONCLUSION

• Parentese is child-directed speech.

• An infant’s pathway to learning the language.

• The proper way to develop an infant’s

vocabulary.

• Baby talk is the consciously imperfect or

altered speech used by adults in speaking to
small children.
REFERENCES
 Internet
 Bruner, J. (1983)
Child’s talk: Learning to use language. New
York: Norton
 Carey, S. (1978) The child as
word learner. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
 The Role of Motherese in Acquiring A Language.
(2017, Sep 10)

 Respective honorable course Teacher’s lectures and

notes.

 Respective course text books.