WATCHING THE WORLD-September 2010

In What Language Do Babies Cry?
From as early as the second day of life, babies cry to the tune of their mother tongue, according to researchers from Wurzburg University, in Germany. The researchers recorded the cries of 30 French and 30 German newborns, analyzing frequency, melodic patterns, and pitch. The cries of French babies often began on a lower pitch and then moved higher, while those of German babies often began higher and then became lower. In both cases, the babies were mimicking melody patterns typical of the languages of their parents. Hence, it is believed that language development starts in the womb and that a baby’s language starts with its earliest cries.

Children Who Cannot Communicate
Today’s parents are spending less time talk- ing to their children at mealtimes or read- ing to them at bedtime than parents of previous generations did. “Children are starting primary school with a speaking age of just 18 months and the number unable to form simple sentences is rising,” reports The Times of London. In Britain, “18 per cent of children aged 5 (more than 100,000) fail to meet the expected level of speech for their age.” Hence, many children who cannot understand basic instructions or express their needs are “like foreigners in the classroom,” not able to understand what is going on.

Ghost, OUT!