• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • WordPress
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
Science Update

Science Update

Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS

  • Spotlights
  • Reality Check
  • Why Is It?
  • Radio Archives
  • Sciup @ School
Home » Radio Archive » Daily Show » Newborn Language

Newborn Language

January 21, 2013
https://podcast.scienceupdate.com/130121_sciup_tongue.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window

BOB HIRSHON (host):

Phonics in utero. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.

Babies learn a lot about their mother’s native language – even before they’re born. This according to developmental psychologist Christine Moon of Pacific Lutheran University. Moon notes that newborns were already known to respond differently to conversations in their mother’s native tongue, as opposed to a foreign language. She and her colleagues showed that the discrimination extends to isolated vowel sounds – in this case, English vowels versus Swedish vowels.

CHRISTINE MOON (Pacific Lutheran University):

And we, until now, believed that that information was not readily available to them in the womb – that it was much more likely that they could be learning about the melody, and the rhythm in the flow of speech.

HIRSHON:
The findings offer new insight into normal language development. Moon says it’s also worth finding out if premature babies, who hear sounds through the air earlier in their development, acquire language differently than full-term babies. I’m Bob Hirshon for AAAS, the Science Society.

Category: Daily Show, Station DownloadTag: Brain Science, Education, Social & Behavioral Sciences
Previous Post:Sensitive Reptile Roundup
Next Post:Parkinson’s & Creativity

Sidebar

Radio Program Archives

Want to learn more about the brain? The environment? Here you can browse the topics that come up regularly on Science Update.

Search the Archives

Categories

  • Daily Show
  • Station Download
  • Weekly Show

Find By Tag

  • 2020
  • Acoustics & Sound
  • Aging
  • Animal Behavior
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Astronomy & Space
  • Biology
  • Brain Science
  • Bugs
  • Cat Video
  • Chemistry
  • Children & Families
  • cicadas
  • Climate & Weather
  • Communications
  • Computer Science
  • Economics & Business
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Environment & Conservation
  • Genetics & Evolution
  • Geology
  • Marine Science
  • Materials Science
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine & Health
  • Microbiology
  • Nanotechnology
  • NASA
  • Nutrition & Food Science
  • Paleontology & Dinosaurs
  • Physics
  • Plants & Agriculture
  • Political Science
  • Reality Check
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • Sports & Fitness
  • spotlight
  • Spotlight Bugs
  • Terrorism & War
  • Why Is It? Questions
  • Wildlife
  • Year in Review

Find By Date

Science Update
  • About Science Update
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

Image of computer screen depicting an orange cat with a variety of alphanumeric scientific data superimposed on the the screen.
Spotted skunk performing handstand to threaten predators

Copyright © 2025 · Springtail Media LLC · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Pongos