Final answer:
Babies begin to recognize language patterns before birth and show language readiness very early, starting with babbling. Babbling is not only an auditory expression but also includes gestures, as seen with babies exposed to sign language. The timing and development of babbling are influenced by the languages and sounds in a baby's environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Language and Communication Development in Babies
Babies begin developing language skills before birth and show preference for their mother's voice and the capacity to discriminate between familiar and foreign languages. From babbling to producing words, babies demonstrate readiness for language acquisition from a very early age. Gestures, including those seen in babies exposed to sign language, are also indicative of communication development. Around six weeks, babies start smiling and vocalizing, followed by babbling around six months. The progression from babbling to speaking the first word typically occurs by the time a baby is 12 months old. Babies' cognitive abilities are primed for language learning, allowing them to absorb the complexities of any language through exposure. Language development is a topic of interest among scholars aiming to understand how humans learn language within diverse sociocultural contexts.
Babies replicate sounds from their environment and soon start to use gestures which predict subsequent language development. Although the initial stages of babbling do not seem to be an attempt to communicate, variations emerge as they grow. By the end of the first year, babies typically say their first meaningful words and may even start forming simple sentences by 18 months.
It is a misconception that all babies start babbling at the same time without the influence of hearing ability; they are actually influenced by the language they are exposed to and develop accordingly.