The Reading / Listening - Baby Talk - Level 0

Mothers across the world speak to babies in the same way. Researchers said "motherese" is a world language. The cute noises and coochy-coos mothers say are very complex. Motherese helps babies learn language. Baby talk is more important than we thought. A researcher said baby talk is not embarrassing.

The researchers recorded 24 different mothers speaking 10 languages. The mothers played with and read to their babies. Their babies were between seven months and one year. The mothers' voices changed in the same way, in any language. The study said fathers probably also speak to their babies in a similar way.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Baby Talk - Level 1,  Baby Talk - Level 2   or  Baby Talk - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/oct/12/coochy-coo-why-baby-talk-is-more-sophisticated-than-you-might-think
  • https://www.news-medical.net/news/20171013/Timbre-shifting-is-a-new-attribute-of-e2809cbaby-talke2809d-found-in-all-languages-study-reveals.aspx
  • http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/the-science-of-baby-talk-motherese-is-a-universal-language-study-confirms-1.3631028


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. across the
  2. in the
  3. "motherese" is
  4. cute noises
  5. Motherese helps
  6. learn
  7. more important
  8. baby talk is not
  1. than we thought
  2. a world language
  3. babies
  4. embarrassing
  5. same way
  6. and coochy-coos
  7. world
  8. language

Paragraph 2

  1. researchers recorded 24
  2. speaking 10
  3. read to their
  4. between seven months
  5. The mothers' voices
  6. in any
  7. fathers probably also
  8. in a similar
  1. speak to their babies
  2. and one year
  3. different mothers
  4. way
  5. language
  6. languages
  7. babies
  8. changed

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Mothers across (1) ___________________ to babies in the same way. Researchers said "motherese" is a world language. (2) ___________________ and coochy-coos mothers say (3) ___________________. Motherese helps babies (4) ___________________. Baby talk is more (5) ___________________ thought. A researcher said baby talk is (6) ___________________.

The researchers (7) ___________________ different mothers speaking 10 languages. The mothers (8) ___________________ read (9) ___________________. Their babies were between seven months (10) ___________________. The mothers' voices changed in the same way, (11) ___________________. The study said fathers probably also speak to their babies (12) ___________________ way.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Mothersacrosstheworldspeaktobabiesinthesameway.Researcherss
aid"motherese"isaworldlanguage.Thecutenoisesandcoochy-coosm
otherssayareverycomplex.Motheresehelpsbabieslearnlanguage.Ba
bytalkismoreimportantthanwethought.Aresearchersaidbabytalkisn
otembarrassing.Theresearchersrecorded24differentmothersspeaki
ng10languages.Themothersplayedwithandreadtotheirbabies.Their
babieswerebetweensevenmonthsandoneyear.Themothers'voicesch
angedinthesameway,inanylanguage.Thestudysaidfathersprobably
alsospeaktotheirbabiesinasimilarway.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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