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Pre-linguistic communication, joint attention and play
Before the first word an infant goes through a fixed sequence — cooing, vocal play, canonical babbling, vocal turn-taking, joint attention and pointing — and play develops in parallel from functional to symbolic and then sociodramatic; each stage is a base for language, so its absence is a warning sign.
Why it matters in the exam
Questions in this area ask you to identify a stage: what is heard in cooing (vowel-like sounds and back consonant-like sounds), what in canonical babbling (repeated syllables such as "bababa"), which sound is not expected in babbling (for example /x/), and what comes before intentional communication (vocal turn-taking). Types of pointing are asked too: pointing to obtain something versus pointing to share — when an infant points at a dog, checks her mother's face and returns her gaze to the dog without wanting it, that is protodeclarative pointing.
Another part concerns joint attention and play: a two-year-old who points at something he wants without eye contact with the adult shows partial initiation of joint attention, which is late for his age. Play moves from functional to symbolic and only later to sociodramatic play with peers, which does not develop between one and two years. At the pre-linguistic stage treatment goals are early communicative intentions, and combining a word with a gesture ("daddy" + pointing at a shoe) predicts two-word combinations soon.
Key points
- Cooing, vocal play, canonical babbling, intentional communication.
- Canonical babbling = repeated syllables; its absence by about 10 months is a warning sign.
- Protoimperative pointing to request versus protodeclarative pointing to share.
- Joint attention is the base for conversation.
- Play: functional, symbolic, sociodramatic.
Summary table
| Approximate age | Stage | What is seen or heard | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 months | Reflexive sounds | Crying, bodily sounds | A base for breath and voice control |
| 2–4 months | Cooing | Vowel-like sounds and back consonant-like sounds; vocal turn-taking with the caregiver | The start of interaction (protoconversation) |
| 6–10 months | Canonical (reduplicated) babbling | Repeated syllables such as "bababa", "dadada"; mainly stops, nasals and glides | No canonical babbling by about 10 months — a warning sign, including for hearing |
| 9–12 months | Intentional communication and joint attention | Pointing to request and to share, following gaze | A base for conversation and first words |
| 12–18 months | Gesture and word | A word with pointing ("daddy" + shoe) | Predicts two-word combinations |
| One to three years and beyond | Play development | Functional, then symbolic (one object standing for another), then sociodramatic with peers | Symbolic play shows symbolic ability |
A free exam question
What will the child produce at the cooing stage?
- A. Mainly back consonant-like sounds and vowel-like sounds
- B. Mainly front consonants
- C. Vowels only, with no consonants at all
- D. Varied vocal play of squeals and whispers
In the full version for subscribers
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Sources
- Owens, Language Development: An Introduction, 10th edition (2020) — Early communication and the pre-linguistic period
- Oller, The Emergence of the Speech Capacity, 2000 — Infant vocal stages and canonical babbling
- Bates et al., From First Words to Grammar, 1988 — Gesture, intention and the transition to words
Sources are given for further reading; the text is written afresh and not copied from them.
Reviewed by the Examqo AI Professor · 2026-11-02. The text may contain errors; when in doubt, check the source.