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Thanks for reading the Multilingual Books newsletter, your source for foreign language news, information, and product information and specials from Multilingual Books. This is also available as a web page at our website, www.multilingualbooks.com. In this issue:
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Infants begin learning language as early as 10 months, researchers find
Public release from eurekalert.org
Infants are listening and learning their first words as young as 10 months, but they are only learning the words for objects that are of interest to them, not for objects of interest to the speaker, according to researchers at Temple University, University of Delaware and University of Evansville.
Their findings are reported in a new study, "The birth of words: Ten-month-olds learn words through perceptual salience," being published in the March/April issue of the journal Child Development (Vol. 77, Issue 2).
In their study, the researchers showed infants two separate objects--one "interesting" and one "boring" in order to teach infants new words. The researchers examined whether 10-month-olds are guided by how much they like an object (i.e., perceptual cues) as well as which object the speaker with them is naming (i.e., social cues) to learn a new word.
At 10 months, before they say much of anything, the researchers discovered that the infants were truly capable of learning two new words in a single session. Using a measure of word comprehension (rather than expecting babies to say the word), they found that infants paired a new word to the object they liked best, regardless of which object the speaker named.
"We found that you could look at one of the objects, pick that object up and even move it, but the baby naturally assumes that the word you're speaking goes with the object that they think is interesting, not the object that you show an interest in," says Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, the Lefkowitz Professor of Psychology and director of the Temple University Infant Lab, and one of the study's co-investigators.
"Ten-month-olds simply 'glue' a label onto the most interesting object they see," adds Shannon Pruden, a doctoral student in psychology at Temple and the study's lead author. "Perhaps this is why children learn words faster when parents look at and name the objects that infants already find interesting."
According to the researchers, these results have huge implications for parents and caregivers. They suggest that babies are listening into our conversations and trying to learn words well before they can say them. The findings also suggest that when we speak to our infants, we should talk about things that they like, not what we like.
As parents and caregivers, we must be sensitive and responsive to infants' interests as they don't have the flexibility to adopt our interests, says Hirsh-Pasek.
"Little babies are learning words fast, even at 10 months when they aren't saying much at all and that's huge," says co-investigator Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, the H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Education at Delaware. "So, parents should talk to their babies from early on because that's the only way that infants can learn language. They should also talk about what the baby is interested in."
The researchers added that around 18 months of age, a child's focus changes and they begin to learn words differently, using the speaker's interest as a guide.
"The 18-month-old is a social sophisticate who can tap into the speaker's mind and the vast mental dictionary that the adult has to offer," says Hirsh-Pasek. "At 10 months they just cannot take the speaker's perspective into consideration."
Read the complete release at Eurekalert: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-03/tu-ibl031606.php
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Arabic Courses Now Available By Download! Two Language Associates Arabic courses, FSI Saudi Arabic and Iraqi Dialect Orientation Course, are now available in a downloadable version! This is the same content from the hardcopy editions, but with the text in PDF format and the audio in MP3 format. Downloads are a single (per level) compressed RAR format file. Download and save! We are introducing our downloads at less than half the price of the hardcopy courses. Why? Well, when you buy in downloadable format, we save, so you save! No printing, reproduction, packaging, handling, and shipping costs for us means big savings for you. Check out our Arabic Download Store! |  |
April Top Products
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Last month's quiz: Every language has its tongue-twisters. Here are some from around the world. Please give the language and English translation for each of these crazy phrases.
Vesihiisi sihisi hississä. Finnish - The water-spirit was hissing in the elevator. This month's quiz: Don't be surprised if you don't recognize these phrases; you won't run across these every day! Please supply the language and English meaning for each phrase. Lastatempe mi estas tre okupita. Scientistas varia justo como nos alteros. le gerku pe le lamji cu ckape E mud'e fasil esan mudray pro telen dy pro zen. The answers and the winner will be in our next newsletter. Winner will receive their choice of one Talk Now or World Talk language CD-ROM! No purchase necessary to enter. E-mail your entry to:
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The Klingon Language Institute
Whether you're a Trekkie (or Trekker if you will) or a curiosity seeker or interested in constructed languages, the KLI offers information, Klingon sound samples, lessons, translations, and much more. From the site: "Klingon was invented by Marc Okrand, for use in some of the Star Trek movies. He invented not just a few words to make the Klingons sound alien, but a complete language, with its own vocabulary, grammar, and usage. The Klingon language is something truly unique. While there have been other artificial languages, and other languages crafted for fictional beings, Klingon is one of the rare times when a trained linguist has been called upon to create a language for aliens. Add to this more than a quarter-century of the Star Trek phenomenon, a mythos that has permeated popular culture and spread around the globe. These factors begin to explain the popularity of the warrior's tongue."
Check it out at http://www.kli.org/.
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BIG Savings! FSI Arabic and Platiquemos Spanish Courses Now Available By Download!
Language Associates Arabic Courses - Digital Edition Downloads
Platiquemos Spanish Course BIG Savings! We are introducing our downloads at less than half the price of the hardcopy courses. Why? Well, when you buy in downloadable format, we save, so you save! No printing, reproduction, packaging, handling, and shipping costs for us means big savings for you. Order today! |
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FREE Shipping on Talk Now and World Talk! Talk Now and World Talk CD-ROM Courses
For a limited time, get FREE shipping (US orders only) on Talk Now and World Talk! Order today to save with our one week only newsletter special! Use promo code MB-TWF-428 to receive this special. |
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Save $10 on Foreign Service Institute Courses!
Foreign Service Institute Courses
Language Associates FSI Digital Editions For a limited time, save $10 on any Foreign Service Institute Course including Digital Editions! Use promo code MB-FSI10-428 to receive this special. Order today! |
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