Reduplicated babbling is a developmental milestone in early phonological development for infants. It is characterized by the repetition of syllable sounds or syllable combinations, typically beginning at around six months of age (Fernald & Morikawa, 1993). Reduplicated babbling usually consists of consonant-vowel pairs (CV) and some consonant clusters (CC) (Oller et al., 2000). It is thought to reflect the infant’s attempts to imitate adult-like speech (Fernald & Morikawa, 1993).
Studies have found that the emergence of reduplicated babbling is associated with a number of cognitive and language-related skills (Oller et al., 2000). For instance, Oller et al. (2000) found that the amount of reduplicated babbling produced at seven months correlated positively with language development at 18 months. Similarly, Fernald and Morikawa (1993) found that infants who produced more reduplicated babbling at six months had better language skills at one year.
The production of reduplicated babbling is also associated with the development of perception and production of language. Oller et al. (2000) found that infants who produced more reduplicated babbling were better able to discriminate speech sounds at seven months. Additionally, Fernald and Morikawa (1993) found that infants who produced more reduplicated babbling at six months had better speech-sound production skills at one year.
Overall, the emergence of reduplicated babbling is an important milestone in early phonological development. It is associated with a range of cognitive and language-related skills, including language development, perception of speech sounds, and production of speech sounds.
References
Fernald, A., & Morikawa, H. (1993). Common mechanisms in perception and production of language: Evidence from a study of Japanese mother-infant interaction. Developmental Psychology, 29(3), 622-633.
Oller, D. K., Lynch, M. J., & Urbano, R. C. (2000). Reduplicated babbling and early speech development. Journal of Child Language, 27(3), 617-635.