Statistical Language Learning in Infancy
A brief review of the infant statistical language learning literature is presented, and broader questions concerning why infants are sensitive to statistical regularities are raised.
Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Research suggests that infants use statistical regularities in linguistic input to identify and learn a range of linguistic structures, from the sounds of language (e.g., native-language speech sounds, word boundaries in continuous speech) to aspects of grammatical structure (e.g., lexical categories like nouns and verbs, basic aspects of syntax). In this article, I review the literature on statistical language learning in infants and raise questions about why infants are sensitive to statistical regularities. In doing so, I consider the relationship among statistical learning, prediction, and reducing uncertainty in infancy.</jats:p>