Researchers have found that within days, an infant is accustomed to his mother’s voice and prefers it over that of a stranger; within weeks, he can tell the difference between the speech sounds of his parents ’ native tongue and those of other languages; and within months, he can sense the junctures between words and thus tell the difference between normal speech and unintelligible sounds.
Teadlased on leidnud, et mõne päevaga saab beebi tuttavaks ema häälega ja eelistab seda võõra omale; mõne nädalaga eristab ta oma vanemate emakeele kõnepilti muude keelte omast; ja mõne kuuga taipab ta sõnadevahelisi seoseid ning suudab eristada tavapärast kõnelemist mõistetamatutest häälikulistest väljendustest.