RESEARCH PAPER

ANALYSIS ON BABES: INTERVIEWING BABY MOTHER

Prepared by:
Ribka Marchyella Tamba

Preparation for Psycholinguistics Course

Universitas Advent Indonesia

21st May 2018

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1. Introduction
In recent years, psychologists have become increasingly aware that children’s early social
interactions play an important role in development of language skills. (Nelson, 1981) In
addition, Bloom (1956) ever stated that from pregnancy to four years old, children’ IQ
develop 50%, and then from four years old to eight years old, children’s IQ add another
30%. During this period, children’s language acquisition would develop soon and well.
Therefore, mothers’ verbal input would influence children’s language acquisition. From this
statement the researcher understands that at this period the children’s language acquisition
becomes a vital issue. Indeed, language is not a skill such as many others, like learning to
drive or perform mathematical operations – it cannot be taught as such in these early
stages. Rather, it is the acquisition of language which fascinates linguists today, and how it is
possible.
This is an assessable report for the Psycholinguistics course at Universitas Advent Indonesia.

1.1 Methodology
Information from this report was sourced from various articles and opinion, for the articles,
all listed in the Reference List.

1.2 Scope of the report

The report focuses on several keys about the acquisition and development of baby’s first
language. The report is about observation of a mother who has 3 daughters. This report will
discuss about her 3rd child who is 6 months old.

2. Findings
Basically, for this project I want to look for some respondents. But I just could do
interview for one respondent. I chose a lecture of Economic faculty which just gave a birth
of her third child. Her name is Ma’am Lenita. I did this interview on 4th May 2018 at Unai
Gym center. Her baby is just 6 months old. The baby is on the step where she just knew
some sound and she started to cooing and babbling. She will like it when her mother ask her
to talk as if they are doing the conversation. Her mother starts to talk to her and introduce

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“Mommy” word. At the age of 6 months, she already could give respond to the action which
given to her.

Here I attach the verbatim of the interview:

a) At what age does the baby start cooing, babbling, and later forming one-word?
= At the 4th month I think

b) What is the child’s first mother tongue?

= of course Indonesia

c) What is the child’s first word or sound uttered?

= Err.. I think Ma or just Eh…Eh.. Or Aa… .

d) What other language(s) or L2 does the mother want her child to learn?
= I choose the general one. English language of course.

e) What vowels which frequently spoken by the baby?

= Err.. I think “ Ma… Ma…”

f) What’s word which is often you teach to your daughter?

= Mommy. But I don’t directly teach her to say Mommy. But I’m just speaking to
her and introduce to her that I’m her mommy, like “Adek, this is mommy”

g) If you are complementing her, like “you are so cute”. What is her reaction? Does
she understand?
= yeah, she gives respond, she will laugh.

Okay, thank you for your time.

3. Conclusion
Mother has an important part on baby to develop the language. Mother becomes
the first teacher. Baby on the earlier stage should be concerned by her mother
because she is on critical period. Giving the babe good input in language will help
her to have good development in language. Mother should focus on her listening
skill first by talking to them. Mother should very active and creative to give the best
for her babe.

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4. References
Spirit.tku.edu
Https://www.simplypsychology.org/language.html

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