BBC News – Judith Burns
“Scientists at Washington State University used speech recognition software to analyse differences in parents’ speech patterns…The research detected distinct differences between the ways mothers and fathers spoke to their pre-school children…Mothers’ “baby talk” is believed to promote bonding. Fathers, by contrast, used intonation patterns more similar to those they used when speaking to adult friends and colleagues. But this did not imply fathers were failing to engage with their children, said lead researcher Mark VanDam, professor of speech and hearing sciences at Washington State University. “This isn’t a bad thing at all. It’s not a failing of the fathers,” said Prof VanDam. He suggested the different approach could help children deal with unfamiliar speech patterns and acquire language as they grew up.”(more)