Aspects of adults' speech addressed to children

Abstract

In this study motherese is viewed as characterised in two important ways. In some cases it has features which are missing in the adult language model or would be considered deviant within it. In others it displays characteristic modifications of the adult language, particularly at the interactional, phonological and syntactic levels. Within motherese one may further distinguish baby-talk as a particular speech register used by adults to address babies, normally one to two years old. The range and extent of the modifications effected by adults is shown in this study, to depend on the age of the children addressed1 such that greater modification is expected with younger ages.