Babbling
The vocal play of infants (typically 4-10 months) producing consonant-vowel combinations. Babbling is a crucial stage in phonological development.
Real World
Research by Petitto and Marentette (1991) found that deaf infants of signing parents produced rhythmic hand movements mirroring vocal babbling — evidence that babbling is language-driven, not purely motor-driven.
Exam Focus
When asked to 'analyse', always link babbling evidence to a named theory (nativist or behaviourist) for AO2 marks.
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