Final answer:
Babies are born with the ability to learn language through exposure and interaction. For baby Maria, being raised in a bilingual environment with exposure to English and Portuguese will provide cognitive benefits and proficiency in both languages, similar to the bilingual success story of Lucy in law enforcement.
Step-by-step explanation:
From birth, babies like Maria have specialized biological capabilities that make them ready to learn language. These include an innate preference for their mother's voice and the ability to differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar languages. This foundational ability to discern and begin learning language precedes infants' other developmental milestones and is vital because language is the primary medium through which children learn not only to communicate but also to understand complex concepts and social cues later in life.
For bilingual families like Andrew's and Paola's, speaking to baby Maria in both English and Portuguese from birth will likely help her become proficient in both languages without requiring formal instruction. Such exposure to bilingual communication enriches cognitive development and may lead to benefits in reasoning, problem-solving, and enhanced communication skills which could aid Maria's future academic and professional success significantly, as seen in the aforementioned example of Lucy who is studying law enforcement and thrives due to her bilingualism.