Child-directed speech : a cross-gender study

Abstract

This study examines the universal features of CDS (Child-directed speech) in an attempt to discover which are more prominent. It also looks into the benefits and advantages of using this type of speech whilst interacting with very young infants and children. A second aim is to conduct a cross-gender study, examining the differences between the CDS features of male and female caregivers. In so doing, this study also looks into the genderlects of males and females, both in adulthood and childhood. Four families were chosen to participate in this study, with the ages of the infants ranging from three to fifteen months. These families were chosen due to the age of the infant, and also due to the fact that English was spoken to the child primarily, at least by one of the parents. This study does show that there are indeed universal features in CDS and also that there are differences between the CDS of females and males.