Early predictors of language development

• Applicants: Dr. Verena Frank; Professorin Dr. Carina Lüke
• Subject Area: General and Comparative Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics, Typology, Non-European Languages
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 573083140

The development of linguistic-communicative skills begins long before children’s production of their first words. There is a close connection between the vocal and motor systems, which forms the basis for the beginning of coordinated multimodal communication. This manifests itself in the parallel production of canonical babble syllables and pointing gestures (hand points, index-finger points) at the end of the first year of life. Previous research suggests that both of the parameters - canonical babble vocalizations and the production of pointing gestures - towards the end of the first year of life have prognostic relevance for further language development. These can therefore make a significant contribution to the early identification of language difficulties, facilitating the introduction of preventive measures. To date, research on monolingual and especially on multilingual children has lacked a consideration of these milestones in combination with one another. Addressing this gap, the present study takes a multimodal research approach. In addition to objectives from basic research, aspects from applied research are considered. In the area of basic research, the primary aim is to record various parameters of early vocalization development in monolingual German and multilingual children, concerning the age at the time of entry into the canonical babbling phase and qualitative characteristics of the vocalizations (complexity, consonant repertoire and vocalization lengths). Their predictive value for the development of later language skills would then be evaluated, taking into account possible interactions and parallels with the development of gestural skills. As an aspect of applied research, new observation and questioning tools will be used to collect data on gestural and spoken language skills, which can be carried out without further specialist knowledge of language development and will be compared with detailed video coding (gold standard). Results obtained in this way can form the basis for the development and evaluation of a multimodal screening tool for the valid, time-efficient and cost-effective identification of at-risk children, which can be utilized during the U6 child health check-up (10th-12th month of life). In order to realize the project goals, a longitudinal examination of the linguistic and gestural abilities of 150 monolingual and multilingual children aged 9–24 months will be carried out. At the ages of 9, 10, 11, and 12 months, the status of children's gestural and pre-linguistic development will be recorded within two natural play and interaction situations with their primary caregiver using audio and video recordings as well as live observation. Two additional records at home, at ages 9 and 10 months, will provide detailed qualitative vocalization analysis. Further linguistic development will be examined at the ages of 18 and 24 months using existing standardized tests.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants