Toddlers more responsive to accents of peers than parents

Infants are more likely to recognise words spoken in the dialect of their local communities than those used by their parents, psychologists have revealed. A study at Plymouth University has shown toddlers are more receptive to regional accents which might be spoken in nurseries and playgroups, even if they are vastly different to those spoken in the home. Academics said the results were somewhat unexpected, but were a positive sign that linguistic diversity was likely to be preserved among future generations. Caroline Floccia, an Associate Professor in the University’s School of Psychology, led the study. She said: “It might widely, and understandably, be assumed that toddlers pick up their early grasp of language and pronunciation from their parents. But this research shows their social context is much more important than people might think, even at such an early age. Studies have shown that once they reach the age of five, children are more likely to speak with the accents they are surrounded by at school, but this is the first time it has been shown to apply to much younger children.