Linguistic experience alters phonetic perception in infants by 6 months of age.
Linguistic experience affects phonetic perception. However, the critical period during which experience affects perception and the mechanism responsible for these effects are unknown. This study of 6-month-old infants from two countries, the United States and Sweden, shows that exposure to a specific language in the first half year of life alters infants' phonetic perception.
Kuhl
P K
PK
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
Williams
K A
KA
Lacerda
F
F
Stevens
K N
KN
Lindblom
B
B
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007802:Language; D010699:Phonation; D013060:Speech; D013548:Sweden; D014481:United States