All articles tagged with #language development
Originally Published 7 months ago — by Neuroscience News
A meta-analysis confirms that adults exaggerate vowel sounds in infant-directed speech across at least 10 languages, suggesting this hyperarticulation may aid infant language learning, though methodological differences and small sample sizes in studies call for more robust cross-cultural research.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Independent
New research by British archaeologist Steven Mithen suggests that early humans likely developed rudimentary language around 1.6 million years ago in eastern or southern Africa, challenging the previous belief that humans only started speaking around 200,000 years ago. The analysis is based on a comprehensive study of archaeological, genetic, neurological, and linguistic evidence, indicating that the birth of language was part of a suite of human evolution and other developments between two and 1.5 million years ago. The emergence of language was linked to improvements in working memory and was crucial for facilitating group planning and coordination abilities, particularly in hunting and survival. This new research also suggests that some aspects of the first linguistic development 1.6 million years ago may still survive in modern languages today.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Independent
New research by British archaeologist Steven Mithen suggests that early humans likely developed rudimentary language around 1.6 million years ago in eastern or southern Africa, challenging the previous belief that humans only started speaking around 200,000 years ago. The analysis is based on a comprehensive study of archaeological, genetic, neurological, and linguistic evidence, indicating that the emergence of language was part of a suite of human evolution and other developments between two and 1.5 million years ago. This birth of language represented the beginning of linguistic development, with language gradually becoming more complex over hundreds of thousands of years.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Daily Caller
An upcoming analysis suggests that humans may have been communicating for over 1.6 million years, challenging the belief that language development occurred only around 200,000 years ago. Based on various evidence, British archaeologist Steven Mithen proposes that early humans began communicating in eastern or southern Africa. He argues that the development of language was crucial for human evolution and survival, allowing for the transmission of knowledge across generations. This theory could potentially reveal ancient linguistic developments still in use today.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Independent
New research by British archaeologist Steven Mithen suggests that humans likely began developing rudimentary language around 1.6 million years ago in eastern or southern Africa, challenging the previous belief that language only emerged around 200,000 years ago. The emergence of language was a crucial factor in human physical and cultural evolution, as it enabled greater group planning and coordination abilities, improved working memory, and facilitated the transmission of complex knowledge and skills. The appearance of Broca’s area in the brain, associated with language production and comprehension, was linked to improvements in working memory and sentence formation. This new research also suggests that some aspects of the first linguistic development 1.6 million years ago may still survive in modern languages today.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Slashdot
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics found that toddlers exposed to screens, including TVs and phones, are missing out on hearing more than 1,000 words spoken by adults each day, which hinders their language skills. The research, tracking 220 Australian families over two years, revealed that for every extra minute of screen time, three-year-olds heard seven fewer words, spoke five fewer words, and engaged in one less conversation. The study emphasized the importance of a language-rich home environment in supporting infants and toddlers' language development and suggested that screen time may be affecting children more than previously estimated.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The New York Times
A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that toddlers exposed to more screen time have fewer conversations with their parents or caregivers, speaking less, hearing less, and engaging in fewer back-and-forth exchanges. This "technoference" could have long-term implications on language development and social skills, as well as potential impacts on obesity, depression, and hyperactivity. The study, led by researcher Mary E. Brushe, used automated monitoring to track children's exposure to electronic noise and language spoken by the child, parent, or another adult, finding that every minute of screen time counts in disrupting household chatter.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Neuroscience News
A new study explores the genetic basis of language development in early childhood and its impact on later cognitive abilities and neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and ASD. The research identifies genetic factors influencing vocabulary size in infancy and toddlerhood, linking these influences to later literacy, cognition, and ADHD symptoms. The study reveals a developmental shift in the genetic associations with ADHD symptoms, indicating a complex role of genetics in language development and neurodevelopmental outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding early linguistic development as a predictor of future mental health and cognitive abilities, highlighting the need for tailored interventions based on children's genetic predispositions.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by ScienceAlert
A recent observational study involving over 1,000 children under the age of four found that the amount of adult talk a child hears is strongly linked to their own speech development, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or exposure to multiple languages. The study, conducted across 12 countries and 43 languages, used wearable recorders to collect over 40,000 hours of recordings and found that for every 100 adult vocalizations heard by a child within an hour, the child produced 27 more vocalizations. This suggests that promoting more adult talk around children may prove beneficial for their language development. However, the study's coarse-grained approach may have overlooked some finer details, and further research is needed to understand the intricacies of language development in children.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Fox News
A study from the University of Florida suggests that chronic ear infections in young children could lead to delayed speech development. The research found that children who experienced multiple ear infections before the age of 3 had a smaller vocabulary and difficulty recognizing speech patterns and sounds. The study's lead researcher emphasized the importance of monitoring children for language-learning difficulties and academic challenges as they grow older. However, a pediatric otolaryngologist not involved in the study expressed concerns about the study's methodology and cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from the findings.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by ABC News
A new study suggests that the transformation of the landscape from dense forests to open plains during the Miocene era may have prompted early hominids to develop speech and language. Researchers found that as hominids transitioned from living in trees to moving onto the ground, they switched from vowel-based calls to consonant-based calls. By studying orangutan calls in a savanna-like landscape, scientists discovered that consonants traveled farther than vowels, indicating that the development of consonant-based calls allowed hominids to communicate over greater distances. This early expansion of speech was a pivotal turning point in language development for humans, leading to the emergence of a rich spoken language in Homo sapiens.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Daily Mail
A new study has found that unborn babies start learning the language spoken by their mothers before birth. Researchers discovered heightened brain activity in newborns when they heard the language they were exposed to most often in utero. The study suggests that language experience shapes the functional organization of the infant brain even before birth. Expectant mothers are encouraged to talk as much as possible to their baby bump, as it can give their baby a headstart in language learning. However, prenatal language experience does not determine developmental outcomes, and babies without much exposure to language in the womb may not be set back developmentally.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Slashdot
Computer scientist Chris Lattner is developing a new language called Mojo, aiming to combine the ease of use of Python with the performance of more complex languages like C++ or Rust. Mojo is designed to address the inefficiencies of Python in running AI processes and offers faster execution across multiple hardware platforms. It unifies the AI programming stack by providing a language with Python syntax that can run up to 35,000 times faster, particularly excelling in matrix multiplications used in neural networks. Mojo is a superset of Python, allowing existing Python code to run faster with added features like threads and static typing. While still in its early stages, Mojo has garnered interest from Python creator Guido van Rossum.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Neuroscience News
Researchers have developed a non-invasive method to map the human auditory pathway, which could help determine the best surgical approach for profound hearing loss. The technique combines track density imaging and probabilistic tractography to provide a detailed view of the auditory and language pathways. The study focused on congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which has been increasing in prevalence. The findings suggest that the language pathway is more affected by inner ear malformations and cochlear nerve deficiencies than the central auditory system, highlighting the importance of early interventions for proper language development.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Phys.org
Researchers from the University of Toronto, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies have discovered a common cognitive foundation between child language development and the historical evolution of languages. They found that patterns of children's language innovation can predict patterns of language evolution, and vice versa. The study focused on word meaning extension, where known words are used to express something new. The researchers built a computational model that successfully predicted word meaning extension patterns across different languages and timescales. This research may help predict future changes in word meaning and aid in second language acquisition and machine learning systems.