A body is placed in a certain airstream

Phonology

• Separate phrases more distinctly, leaving longer pauses between them.
• Speak more s-l-o-w-l-y.
• Use exaggerated  ‘singsong’ intonation, which helps to emphasise key words.  Also to exaggerate the difference between questions, statements and commands.
• Use a higher and wider pitch range.

Lexis and semantics

• Use of concrete nouns (cat, train) and dynamic verbs (give, put).
• Adopt child’s own words for things (doggie, wickle babbit).
• Frequent use of child’s name and an absence of pronouns.

Grammar

• Simpler constructions
• Frequent use of imperatives
• High degree of repetition
• Use of personal names instead of pronouns (e.G. ‘Mummy’ not ‘I’)
• Fewer verbs, modifiers and adjectives

Large number of one-word utterances

• Deixis used to point child’s attention to objects or people
• Repeated sentence frames eg. “that’s a ……”
• Use more simple sentences and fewer complex and passives.
• Omission of past tenses, inflections (plurals and possessives).
• Use more commands, questions and tag questions.
• Use of EXPANSIONS – where the adult fills out the child’s utterance.
• Use of RE-CASTINGS – where the child’s vocabulary is put into a new utterance.

Pragmatics

• Lots of gesture and warm body language.
• Fewer utterances per turn – stopping frequently for child to respond.
• Supportive language (expansions and re-castings)