We have been studying intonation, so I thought that students might like to see this.
Fascinating information from the Max Planck Society.
Scientists looked at recordings of crying babies. There were 30 French babies, and 30 German babies. All of the babies were aged between 2 and 5 days old.
Conclusion: (a) Babies cry differently, according to their parents’ language. (b) Babies, before they are born, have already picked up the sound of their parents’ language.
In the third trimester, babies are good listeners. They hear sounds and voices, especially the mother’s voice.
“The sense of hearing is the first sensory system that develops”, says Angela Friederici, a Director at the Max Planck Institute. “What gets through are primarily the melodies and intonation of the respective language.”
In French, word stress is usually at the end. Mama. Papa. Intonation ordinarily rises.
In German, word stress is usually at the start. Mama. Papa. Intonation ordinarily falls.
Well:
German babies’ cries tend to start higher and louder, then fall in pitch and volume.
French babies’ cries tend to start lower, then rise in pitch and volume.
Image: MPI für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften
Very interesting. Good job, Max Planck Institute!
Students, there is a moral in this somewhere. I’ll leave you to find it for yourselves.
PS: I would love to record 30 Japanese babies…
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Girls and rabbits. Can you think of anything cuter?
Congratulations, Takeko!
coq 
vin
**Come in a costume, and class is free.**
I took it, and brought it to school.
Please identify me.
That’s a lot of fire.
