Introduction

One of the most challenging yet beautiful things in life is teaching babies how
to talk. Teaching babies how to communicate via language like normal human
beings is wonderful activity. Of course, it is a long process and just like learning
any other learner, babies are starters and need to start with the basics.
Nevertheless, learning a language is an inborn ability and everyone has it.
Teaching babies how to talk and communicating with them involves a method
known as Parentese. Additionally, "Baby Talk" another technique, is very
similar to parentese. In this paper, I shall talk about parentese and baby talk
and explain them thoroughly.

Introduction to Parentese
The term “Parentese” refers to the sort of speech that children receive when
they are very young. In short, parentese is child-directed speech. This consists
of any of various speech patterns used by parents or caregivers when
communicating with young children, particularly infants, usually involving
simplified vocabulary, rhythmic pitch, repetitive questioning, and a slow or
direct tempo. All this makes communication for the baby very easy. Babies are
the most basic learners after all. It is these basic steps that help babies to grasp
hold of the language and get them into the journey of learning their first
language.

Human beings are born to learn and speak language. It is one of the most
common natural abilities everyone possesses. Regarding this, it is obvious that
babies have an innate ability to learn language. Children learn language from
their experiences. They copy and repeat words they hear. The nature of the
speech and environmental input which children receive is important for
language learning. Parentese is also referred by many people as a type of baby
talk.

Parentese makes language more intelligible and parents naturally use

parentese with infants and babies although may not be aware that they are
using it.
When speaking or reading to their babies, parents must:

 Position their faces close to baby's face

 Use shorter utterances
 Speak in an exaggerated melodious tone
 Articulate clearly
 Vary and raise their pitch (as much as an octave)
 Frequently use repetition
 Use exaggerated facial expressions (eye contact, raising eyebrows,
big smiles)
 Lengthen vowels (sooooocuuuuute)
 Use shorter sentences
 Put unfamiliar words on ends of sentences for stress
 Give positive feedback and loving attention

Benefits of Parentese

Parentese helps children in learning languages in a number of ways. Parentese

helps children to:

a)Develop their vocabulary as they learn new words

b) Understand abstract concepts easier

c) Learn grammar naturally

d) Understand conversation routines

Characteristics of Parentese

Upon analyzing parentese, linguists and researchers have deduced lots of

various characteristics. I shall explain these thoroughly. We can understand
these features more easily if we observe a conversation between a parent and
his/her child.

i) Short Sentences and Simple Structures

Parents use simple sentences when they talk to children
[Subject,Verb,Object]. For example: We eat rice. We played today.

Compound and complex sentences are not found in parentese.

ii) 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

iii) Simplified phonology and structure of words.

For example:
a. byebye not good bye
b. wawa not water
c. mama not mother
d. choo-choo not train
iv) Exaggerated phonology
a. Includes exaggerated intonation.
b. Slow tempo and high pitch.
c. Stress is sometimes overused to make children understand.
d. Pauses are also used repeatedly to help children to follow the
parents’ speech.
v) Using facial expression and gesture
vi) Prolonged eye contact and gaze
vii) More verbless sentences
viii) More content words, fewer function words
A fine example of baby talk can be seen here.

“I went to a zoo. I saw many trees. First I saw a white bird, then I saw a black
bear. Then, I saw some monkeys. Yaak monkeys really smell. Then I saw an
elephant. The elephant is big.”

“My favorite player is Ronaldinho. He plays well. He scores goals. He plays like
a magician.”

Baby Talk
Baby talk is the consciously imperfect or altered speech used by adults in
speaking to small children. It can also be described as the syntactically
imperfect speech or phonetically modified forms used by small children
learning to talk. It is a form of parentese, but it contained an overly simplified
vocabulary and syntax. Originally baby talk is taken from children language.
Some children words are standardized as vocabulary from baby talk. Baby talk
influences vocabulary and syntax. Studies have shown that baby talk words
build infants' language skills. Indeed, the more baby talk words that infants are
exposed to, the quicker they grasp language.

Parents use this language to make speech easy-to- understand for children. It
is also used to build relationships between parents and children. It is used by
children to speak to younger children. These words are transmitted over
generations. Baby talk influence vocabulary and syntax.
Characteristics of Baby Talk

a) 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.
 Most baby talk word are formed by duplication of specific syllable of
words [da da, baba, mama, dodo, dum dum]

b) 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. It is an infant’s pathway to learning the
language and the proper way to develop an infant’s vocabulary. Baby talk, on
the other hand, is the consciously imperfect or altered speech often used by
adults in speaking to small children. When adults talk to children, they tend to
use simpler and easier language than when they talk to other adults. It is adults
who have to adapt themselves to children's language style.
References

1. Internet

/ www.earlyliteracylearning.org/cellpract_parent/infants/PG/

2. Respective Course books

3. Respective Course Teacher's lectures and notes