Shared Multimodal Input Through Social Coordination: Infants With Monolingual and Bilingual Learning Experiences
Lichao Sun1, Christina D Griep1, Hanako Yoshida1
1Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 6, 2022
Summary
Infants in bilingual or monolingual homes learn words through socially coordinated play. Parent
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Increasing numbers of children are exposed to multiple languages from birth.
- Limited understanding exists regarding early word learning and referent mapping in child-centered experiences.
- Parental input is crucial for early language acquisition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate early multimodal learning experiences in object play.
- To examine how parental input, including gaze, labeling, and object handling, influences infant word learning.
- To compare learning experiences in monolingual versus bilingual households.
Main Methods:
- Utilized head-mounted eye-tracking devices to record infant visual scenes.
- Recorded parental social input: gaze, labeling, and object handling during interactive play.
- Recruited 51 infants and toddlers (6-18 months) from monolingual and bilingual homes.
Main Results:
- Infants in both language groups received comparable socially coordinated learning experiences.
- Parental object handling directly influenced infants' attention to referent objects.
- Multiple social pathways were identified that facilitate infant object looking.
Conclusions:
- Early language input is effectively multimodal and socially coordinated.
- Parental object handling is a key factor in directing infant attention for word learning.
- These findings offer insights into early language acquisition in diverse linguistic environments.
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