Long before they start talking, infants have learned a surprising amount about the sounds, words, and grammar of their language. They also begin to link this knowledge to what they are learning about the people around them.
In our lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, we seek to understand how children learn language and use it in their interactions with others. We are particularly interested in how children’s language learning is influenced by the fact that everyone talks differently. Some of our primary questions include:
- What types of information do infants and children use to learn their language(s)?
- How do children interpret words in different situations and when spoken by different people?
- Do children understand that people with different language backgrounds may use language differently?
- How are children’s learning about language and learning about people connected?
- What information do listeners use in real-time to understand what people are saying?
We are always looking for new participants (aged 0 - 8) and would love to have your family participate. Please contact us for more information!
