Language Lessons

When Wylie was about four months old he participated in a UCLA Linguistics study about how children learn language and how they react to foreign language. We were selected for an invite through our connection with USC. It was a fun opportunity to hear about new research as well as participate. I liked the idea of helping out a masters student as well. We were invited to participate in a USC Linguistics study about how children relate to language prior to their development of a "spoken" language. This study is more about which words they respond to and which words they "speak" back to as well as want to hear more than once. They specifically want to conduct the study among seven to eight month olds. Their hope is to have funding to come back and retest when the participants are fourteen to fifteen months old. Why participate? Wylie can be quite vocal and tell his side of a story almost as well as his papa but unless you understand Wylie-ese it's not a "spoken" language. I know how hard it is to get respondents for research and if I can help out a MA or PH.D student with learning more about the amazing brain of a child then I'm going to help out. It's an excuse to go into a different building at USC. The more Wylie is exposed to new and different things the more adaptable he'll be as well as the more I learn about him. Oh and the number one reason...a free tee-shirt. Who couldn't use another Trojans tee shirt?