Final answer:
At 10 to 12 months, infants practice canonical babbling, a significant phase where they repeat syllables, preparing them for later stages of language development. This phase precedes the appearance of their first meaningful words and reflects a comprehensive understanding of native language sounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
At 10 to 12 months, infants tend to repeat syllables, showing what linguists refer to as canonical babbling. This stage of language development is pivotal as it occurs before babies say their first meaningful words. During the babbling phase, babies also demonstrate an understanding of the basic sounds of their native language, which is a precursor to forming words.
Although seemingly trivial, babbling is a sophisticated part of language development where the infant practices the rhythm and pattern of their native language, laying down the foundation for later speech.
As they reach the one-year mark, toddlers can use one- and two-syllable words and comprehend several other words. They start combining sounds that will later evolve into actual words that carry meaning. This auditory exploration prepares infants for more complex stages of language development, reflecting their cognitive development and the intricate process of learning language just by being exposed to it.