Speech and Language Processing in Infancy: A Neurocognitive Approach

Abstract

Behavioral studies have revealed much about the development of speech perception and early word learning during infancy. In recent years, emerging neuroimaging and magneto- and electrophysiological techniques have provided a new window through which to examine neural correlates of language processing. In this chapter, we integrate findings from the behavioral and neurophysiological literatures to explore the brain’s initial organization for language processing and the role of experience in modifying or maintaining this initial organization. We focus on three content areas in which our lab has participated. At the most fundamental level we ask whether speech is perceived differently from nonspeech. Within the realm of speech perception, we focus on the perception of speech segments. Finally, we explore how speech perception might intersect with language acquisition by reviewing recent research on the use of phonetic detail in early word learning. The pattern of findings across these three content areas provides converging evidence for preferred detection of some kinds of change over others in the young infant, and increasing neurocognitive specialization as a function of age and experience.