Opinion: To the point - Let's all listen with mother
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
One language comes naturally to us all, says Robin Balbernie
I had a moment of self-awareness in a recent home visit. The thought of what the fabled fly on the wall would be seeing as I had a conversation with a baby began to give me the giggles and so I had to rapidly switch attention to the mother. I always talk to the babies I visit, especially as they frequently pay far more attention to my interpretations than the adults. I realised I have a routine, which begins with waiting until the baby decides to make eye contact. I then pitch my voice high and say hello, and if I am on the ball I also ask baby a question or two, and stay on the look-out for turn-taking. At the same time I am raising my eyebrows and moving my head in the rhythm of my speech, which has become more musical by this point, with extended vowels and exaggerated emotional tone. Too much eye contact can trigger a stress response, so this needs to be at the baby's command.
The whole performance must look quite daft; and it says a lot for the forbearance of the parents that they have not laughed at me! But then, in most cases, they have spoken the same language as well, so recognise it for what it is - motherese.
Motherese is universal; it has even been found to exist in Rhesus monkeys, who use a special form of vocalisation involving soft nasal sounds directed at babies being held by their mothers. As with humans, monkey motherese is intended to get the newborn's attention and facilitate social interaction. Babies naturally find motherese interesting, making it a form of marked speech that aids language development and promotes the attachment relationship.
The more melodic sounds of motherese seem to aid comprehension and it has been shown that this can cross cultures. When members of a South American tribe were spoken to in English motherese they got the gist about three-quarters of the time. Forget Esperanto (most people have); if you want a European language, motherese is your best bet.
- Robin Balbernie is a consultant child psychotherapist in Gloucestershire.
