HOW do infants learn the melodic and rhythmical aspects (prosody) of their first language?
The SoundStart project investigates how the prosodic skills of infants develop from the third trimester up and till the third year of life.
What is the focus of our project?
The SoundStart project seeks to uncover the mechanisms driving prosodic development both before birth and during the first three years of life. The project focuses on two key aspects of prosody development:
- Prosodic Phrasing: The ability to break down speech into units based on rhythmic and melodic cues. For example, in the phrase “Let’s eat, Grandma!” the pause indicates a direct address, while “Let’s eat Grandma!” changes the meaning entirely, illustrating how prosody aids in understanding relationships between words.
- Form-Meaning Mappings: The ability to associate an intonation pattern with a communicative meaning. Infants can convey different intentions to caregivers based on prosodic patterns. For instance, a rising intonation at the end of a phrase, as in “Are you coming?”, indicates a question, while a falling intonation in “I’m coming” signifies a statement. This demonstrates how prosodic variations can signal different meanings.
We study the role of the following mechanisms in prosodic development:
- Biologically motivated mechanisms: Are infants born with innate abilities that help prosodic development?
- Input-based learning mechanisms in the auditory modality: How does the language infants hear influence prosodic development?
- Visual modality: How do gestures facilitate prosodic development?
The project is divided into three focus areas:
The SoundStart project is funded by a Dutch Research Council’s VICI grant awarded to Prof. Aoju Chen (VI.C.201.109).
