In this talk, Dr. Mahesh Srinivasan will present recent work from his lab that challenges two broad claims within the field of developmental science: First, that there are optimal methods for speaking to ones child; and second, that parents from lower socioeconomic-status backgrounds sometimes lack knowledge of these methods, thus warranting parenting training. He will begin by presenting studies that address whether the experience of poverty itselfabove and beyond factors like parenting knowledgemay suppress parents speech to their children. His findings suggest that financial scarcity may impact how anybody would speak to their child, motivating the need for policies that address systemic inequities. Then, he will discuss research which assesses childrens ability to learn from overheard speech (ambient speech that is not directed to a child), which is a main form of childrens early experience with language in many communities around the world. His findings suggest that children can learn from overheard speech, and may not need to be spoken to often in order to learn words on a normal timeline. He will discuss the theoretical and practical implications of his findings.
Science at Cal - Language Development Across Communities and Cultures
Room:
100
Event Type:
Lecture
Location:
Genetics & Plant Biology Building
Date:
Saturday, March 12, 2022
Time:
11:00:00
To:
12:15:00
Event Sponsor:
Science@Cal
Event Speakers:
Dr. Mahesh Srinivasan