Learner Resource 8.2
Child Directed Speech & Dog Talking
Child-Directed Speech (CDS)
Child-Directed Speech is a key part of interactionist theories and is identified by Burner as being
part of the Language Acquisition Support System (LASS) but there is more to explore in this area
than just Bruner’s work.
Use the key words and phrases below to aid you in researching the background to CDS in greater
depth. Some of these will take you to specific articles or journals but that doesn’t mean you should
just look at the first result on the search. Use each bullet point as a starting point for wider reading.

CDS + Cameron-Faulkner

Motherese

Hirsch-Pasek and Treiman (1982)

Talking to children: The role of child-directed speech in language development.

Child-directed speech: relation to socioeconomic status, knowledge of child development
and child vocabulary skill

Language of Gusii mothers in Kenya and Kaluli in Papua New Guinea

Recasting

The More Knowledgeable other
OCR Resources: the small print
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Child Language Acquisition
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