US study focuses on how infants' brains respond to language

American researchers are a step closer to unravelling the mystery of how babies learn how to speak.

Scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle had a group of seven- and 11-month-old infants listen to a series of syllables while sitting in a brain scanner. Not only did the auditory areas of their brains light up as expected but so did a region crucial to forming higher-level speech, called Broca's area.

These findings suggest that even before babies utter their first words, they may be mentally exercising the pivotal parts of their brains in preparation.

Study author and neuroscientist Patricia Kuhl says her results reinforce the belief that talking and reading to babies from birth is beneficial for their language development, along with exaggerated speech and mouth movements.

"Understand that they want to talk with you - serve and volley - so give them a chance to talk back," she said.

Kuhl and her colleagues also threw a non-native language into the mix to see how babies' perception of speech sounds change as they grow. They looked at brain activation of the infants, all from English-only-speaking homes, while listening to a series of Spanish syllables.