How Children's Voices Shape Infant Language
The Influence of Child-Produced Speech on Infant Language Development
This project explores how the speech infants hear from other children, like siblings, affects their language learning.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Amherst, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143263 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We know that early language skills are connected to the language infants hear around them, but most past work has focused on adults talking to babies. This project looks at the language infants hear from other children, which is a common experience for many. We want to understand if infants process speech from children differently than from adults, and if the content of child-produced speech impacts how babies learn to talk. Our goal is to discover why younger siblings sometimes develop language more slowly than first-born children.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project is interested in infants and young children, particularly those with older siblings, and their caregivers.
Not a fit: Patients not interested in early childhood language development or who do not have young children would likely not receive direct benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help us better understand how to support language development in all children, especially those with siblings.
How similar studies have performed: While much research has focused on adult-infant speech, this project explores the relatively less-studied area of child-produced speech's influence on infant language development.
Where this research is happening
Amherst, United States
- State University of New York at Buffalo — Amherst, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bulgarelli, Federica — State University of New York at Buffalo
- Study coordinator: Bulgarelli, Federica
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.