CHILD DEVELOPMENT PEDAGOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Neonates are able to discriminate between the different sound levels and duration, different phonemes and constants of all the languages they are exposed to. However when they turn 12 months of age this ability disappears and they are only able to discriminate the phonemes of their native language.

Detailed explanation-2: -At around 1 year of age, babies gradually lose their ability to discriminate all speech sounds in all languages and zero in on the speech sounds used in their home language(s).

Detailed explanation-3: -Infants under 6–8 months of age can discriminate both native and non-native consonant contrasts, while infants over 10 months apparently have difficulty discriminating non-native consonants that adult speakers in their language environment have difficulty with (see reviews by Best, 1994b; Werker, 1989).

Detailed explanation-4: -It is generally accepted that infants initially discriminate native and non-native contrasts and that perceptual reorganization within the first year of life results in decreased discrimination of non-native contrasts, and improved discrimination of native contrasts.

Detailed explanation-5: -A central phenomenon in infant language development is the transition in phonetic perception that occurs in the second half of the first year of life. At birth and until about 6 mo of age, infants are capable of discriminating the consonants and vowels that make up words universally across languages.