Research about the ability of infants to distinguish human speech sounds indicates that:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Research has shown that infants initially have the ability to distinguish all possible speech sounds, but gradually focus on the speech sounds of the language spoken around them as they grow older. This process is facilitated by exposure to the language during the critical period where the brain is most receptive to language learning. This explains why young infants can distinguish all speech sounds but then become more attuned to the specific speech sounds of their language as they develop.

Research About the Ability of Infants to Distinguish Human Speech