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Science 31 January 1992:
Vol. 255. no. 5044, pp. 606 - 608
DOI: 10.1126/science.1736364
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Articles

Science, Vol 255, Issue 5044, 606-608
Copyright © 1992 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Linguistic experience alters phonetic perception in infants by 6 months of age

PK Kuhl, KA Williams, F Lacerda, KN Stevens, and B Lindblom

Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.

Linguistic experience affects phonetic perception. However, the critical period during which experience affects perception and the mechanism responsible for these effects are unknown. This study of 6-month-old infants from two countries, the United States and Sweden, shows that exposure to a specific language in the first half year of life alters infants' phonetic perception.


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