Language learning ‘begins in the womb’

Posted 23 Nov 2009

A child’s sense of language and accents is developed while they are still in the womb.

This is according to research conducted by the Center for Pre-speech Development and Developmental Disorders at Wurzburg University in Germany, which found that babies lean towards the language they are exposed to during -and just after – their gestation period.

The research – which examined the cried of 60 healthy newborns – determined subtle differences in intonation, reported National Geographic.

One of the findings was that French children tend to raise the pitch of their voices after speaking a word, whereas German children do the opposite.

Kathleen Wermke, the lead author of the study, is quoted by the publication as saying: "Clearly, the long process of language learning begins with the perception and production of melody by human fetuses and infants."

In related news, writing for Hearst Seattle Media last week, author Timi Gustafson stated that learning a new language can have a massive impact upon an individual and improve their career prospects greatly.

Category: TEFL Industry