Talking to children 0-3

[Copper]

Did anybody else read this article

www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1114792,00.html (sorry, still can't do links - perhaps some kind soul could do it?)

on an American study of the importance of talking to children age 0-3? Apparently this is the time when they absorb language: if they don't get talked to sufficiently in this time, they won't be able to pick it up later.

Linguists do think of puberty as the dividing line, for learning language at all and for learning a new language as a native speaker. Older children do catch up more slowly, which brings them up against the puberty deadline, but I'd expect most 10-year olds to sound fine.

Mostly, I just get mad when people twist research to make normal mothers feel bad. Yes, pre-school years are important for language learning, and even though you can catch up later, you will do better at other things if you don't need to. But what average infants need to learn language is hearing that works and at least one human being who speaks lovingly to them. You are unlikely to damage your baby by not talking enough, or talking to much, or talking baby-talk. You are also unlikely to improve your baby by artificial exposure to extra languages or vocabulary. More loving people, particularly people who also love language, might well be helpful. And being mean to your kids or ignoring them most of the time is bad, whether you're hoping they'll learn language or physical skills.