Early Acquisition Of Verb Forms Through Interaction In Conversation: Fill & Download for Free

All babies are born with the ability to make all the sounds of the languages they might encounter.Language Developmental ProgressionLanguage Developmental ProgressionAn important aspect of cognitive development is language acquisition. The order in which children learn language structures is consistent across children and cultures (Hatch, 1983). Starting before birth, babies begin to develop language and communication skills. At birth, babies recognize their mother’s voice and can discriminate between the language(s) spoken by their mothers and foreign languages, and they show preferences for faces that are moving in synchrony with audible language (Blossom & Morgan, 2006; Pickens et al., 1994; Spelke & Cortelyou, 1981).Do newborns communicate? Of course they do. They do not, however, communicate with the use of oral language. Instead, they communicate their thoughts and needs with body posture (being relaxed or still), gestures, cries, and facial expressions. A person who spends adequate time with an infant can learn which cries indicate pain and which ones indicate hunger, discomfort, or frustration.Intentional Vocalizations: In terms of producing spoken language, babies begin to coo almost immediately. Cooing is a one-syllable combination of a consonant and a vowel sound (e.g., coo or ba). Interestingly, babies replicate sounds from their own languages. A baby whose parents speak French will coo in a different tone than a baby whose parents speak Spanish or Urdu. These gurgling, musical vocalizations can serve as a source of entertainment to an infant who has been laid down for a nap or seated in a carrier on a car ride. Cooing serves as practice for vocalization, as well as the infant hears the sound of his or her own voice and tries to repeat sounds that are entertaining. Infants also begin to learn the pace and pause of conversation as they alternate their vocalization with that of someone else and then take their turn again when the other person’s vocalization has stopped.At about four to six months of age, infants begin making even more elaborate vocalizations that include the sounds required for any language. Guttural sounds, clicks, consonants, and vowel sounds stand ready to equip the child with the ability to repeat whatever sounds are characteristic of the language heard. Eventually, these sounds will no longer be used as the infant grows more accustomed to a particular language.At about 7 months, infants begin Babbling, engaging in intentional vocalizations that lack specific meaning and comprise a consonant-vowel repeated sequence, such as ma-ma-ma, da-da- da. Children babble as practice in creating specific sounds, and by the time they are 1 year old, the babbling uses primarily the sounds of the language that they are learning (de Boysson- Bardies, Sagart, & Durand, 1984). These vocalizations have a conversational tone that sounds meaningful even though it isn’t. Babbling also helps children understand the social, communicative function of language. Children who are exposed to sign language babble in sign by making hand movements that represent real language (Petitto & Marentette, 1991).Gesturing: Childrencommunicate information through gesturing long before theyspeak, and there is some evidence that gesture usage predicts subsequent language development (Iverson & Goldin-Meadow, 2005). Deaf babies also use gestures to communicate wants, reactions, and feelings. Because gesturing seems to be easier than vocalization for some toddlers, sign language is sometimes taught to enhance one’s ability to communicate by making use of the ease of gesturing. The rhythm and pattern of language is used when deaf babies sign just as it is when hearing babies babble.Understanding: At around ten months of age, the infant can understand more than he or she can say, which is referred to as receptive language. You may have experienced this phenomenon as well if you have ever tried to learn a second language. You may have been able to follow a conversation more easily than contribute to it. One of the first words that children understand is their own name, usually by about 6 months, followed by commonly used words like “bottle,” “mama,” and “doggie” by 10 to 12 months (Mandel, Jusczyk, & Pisoni, 1995).Infants shake their head “no” around 6–9 months, and they respond to verbal requests to do things like “wave bye-bye” or “blow a kiss” around 9–12 months. Children also use contextual information, particularly the cues that parents provide, to help them learn language. Children learn that people are usually referring to things that they are looking at when they are speaking (Baldwin, 1993), and that that the speaker’s emotional expressions are related to the content of their speech.Holophrasic Speech: Children begin using their first words at about 12 or 13 months of age and may use partial words to convey thoughts at even younger ages. These one word expressions are referred to as Holophrasic Speech. For example, the child may say “ju” for the word “juice” and use this sound when referring to a bottle. The listener must interpret the meaning of the holophrase, and when this is someone who has spent time with the child, interpretation is not too difficult. But, someone who has not been around the child will have trouble knowing what is meant. Imagine the parent who to a friend exclaims, “Ezra’s talking all the time now!” The friend hears only “ju da ga” to which the parent explains means, “I want some milk when I go with Daddy.”Language Errors: The early utterances of children contain many errors, for instance, confusing /b/ and /d/, or /c/ and /z/. The words children create are often simplified, in part because they are not yet able to make the more complex sounds of the real language (Dobrich & Scarborough, 1992). Children may say “keekee” for kitty, “nana” for banana, and “vesketti” for spaghetti because it is easier. Often these early words are accompanied by gestures that may also be easier to produce than the words themselves. Children’s pronunciations become increasingly accurate between 1 and 3 years, but some problems may persist until school age.A child who learns that a word stands for an object may initially think that the word can be used for only that particular object, which is referred to as Underextension. Only the family’s Irish Setter is a “doggie”, for example. More often, however, a child may think that a label applies to all objects that are similar to the original object, which is called Overextension. For example, all animals become “doggies”.First words and cultural influences: First words if the child is using English tend to be nouns. The child labels objects such as cup, ball, or other items that they regularly interact with. In a verb-friendly language such as Chinese, however, children may learn more verbs. This may also be due to the different emphasis given to objects based on culture. Chinese children may be taught to notice action and relationships between objects, while children from the United States may be taught to name an object and its qualities (color, texture, size, etc.). These differences can be seen when comparing interpretations of art by older students from China and the United States.Two word sentences and telegraphic (text message) speech: By the time they become toddlers, children have a vocabulary of about 50-200 words and begin putting those words together in telegraphic speech, such as “baby bye-bye” or “doggie pretty”. Words needed to convey messages are used, but the articles and other parts of speech necessary for grammatical correctness are not yet used. These expressions sound like a telegraph, or perhaps a better analogy today would be that they read like a text message. Telegraphic Speech/Text Message Speech occurs when unnecessary words are not used. “Give baby ball” is used rather than “Give the baby the ball.”Infant-directed Speech: Why is a horse a “horsie”? Have you ever wondered why adults tend to use “baby talk” or that sing-song type of intonation and exaggeration used when talking to children? This represents a universal tendency and is known as Infant-directed Speech. It involves exaggerating the vowel and consonant sounds, using a high-pitched voice, and delivering the phrase with great facial expression (Clark, 2009). Why is this done? Infants are frequently more attuned to the tone of voice of the person speaking than to the content of the words themselves, and are aware of the target of speech. Werker, Pegg, and McLeod (1994) found that infants listened longer to a woman who was speaking to a baby than to a woman who was speaking to another adult. It may be in order to clearly articulate the sounds of a word so that the child can hear the sounds involved. It may also be because when this type of speech is used, the infant pays more attention to the speaker and this sets up a pattern of interaction in which the speaker and listener are in tune with one another.

Hi All,There are several strategies that you can use for effective B2B lead generation, however having a killer B2B website that is well thought out and developed is a great place to start. With that said, below are 5 strategies that B2B marketers can use to turn the old “brochure” type of websites into a B2B lead gen optimized site that generates sales qualified leads.You have probably heard of the term “brochure” website before, but in case you haven’t, this is a term coined in the early 2000’s that stems from the mindset that simply having an online presence is enough to meet your company’s marketing goals. These types of websites for B2B companies lack the substance and ability to engage an audience like a well-crafted B2B website should.What is a “brochure” website?A “brochure” website is kind of like having a storefront in the middle of the country without any access roads, street lights, store windows, or sales staff available. How could you even expect to get people in through the front door, let alone drive revenue in a store like this?Let’s say you get lucky and someone manages to stumble across your store but after browsing your inventory they decide not to buy today. Will that customer ever return, or will you possibly lose them to a competitor down the road when they are ready to buy?We can take it a step further and say that by some miracle you are able to get a good amount of foot traffic, but products aren’t leaving the shelves. How will you assess the situation and make improvements to increase your sales conversions?Now putting this back into context of a website, you should ask yourself if your site is set up like this poorly optimized storefront we just mentioned, or do you have a professional B2B website that is well equipped to generate leads and help convert opportunities. Digital expert, Jayne Reddyhoff, describes the problem like this: a brochure website ‘would only allow people who already know the product to find it, rather than someone who’s looking for a solution to their specific problem’ (Smart Insights).If you think your site might be leaning more towards the brochure type or you aren’t quite sure, stay tuned and we will show you 5 killer ways to turn your website into a B2B lead generation machine.1. Bury your brochure website as soon as possibleToday more and more businesses are taking the holistic approach towards digital marketing. This means thinking beyond traditional “brochure” websites and focuses more on creating an online presence that includes rich content and well-crafted inbound marketing strategies.Even if you haven’t crafted a well thought out content strategy yet, you aren’t alone. Over 55% of B2B marketers say they are unclear on what content marketing success or effectiveness looks like. (Content Marketing Institute, 2015)Shift your thinkingIn order to move away from the “brochure” website mentality, you must also shift your thinking in regards to the value of your website. Your website is not just there to serve your existing clients or potential referral clients. Instead, your website should be looked at as a hotspot for highly educational information and content optimized to attract your ideal prospects as they search for solutions or services that you must offer.All too often we see clients running businesses built primarily from referrals, and this makes them very skeptical in believing that new business opportunities can come because of organic web searches. These are usually the same types of clients who have yet to invest in a modern digital marketing plan. However, according to Hubspot, we know that 71% of B2B researchers start their research with a generic search. (Google, 2015)We encourage you to keep an open mind and first evaluate what online marketing opportunities exist prior to making any assumptions. In our Discovery Process, we show clients exactly what types of keywords and search volumes they can expect from their ideal prospects before making the decision to invest in a full blown web activation or inbound marketing plan.The goal is to evolve your current website into a true B2B website, where content creation is at the center of everything. For this content to reach your audience, there should be a clear cut strategy to measure and develop the site so that it becomes a lead generation machine.This means carefully choosing short and long tail keywords that accurately reflect your business services, and that resonate with your target audience. These keywords should be included through professional, yet natural copywriting on your site.Quality messaging content should extend well beyond your basic on-page copy, you should also be creating valuable eBooks, White Papers, Blogs, and other content that services very specific purposes along the buyer journey. This type of engaging content can be gated or have embedded calls to action (CTA) in order to help you acquire new leads.Prospects rarely mind exchanging their contact information in exchange for information they believe can solve their problems. This can be strategically crafted and executed with laser precision in a well thought inbound marketing plan.2. Identify your ideal prospects to help increase relevant trafficAcquiring high volumes of traffic might sound great, but what you should be after is attracting highly relevant traffic from prospects that you want to do business with. This requires listing out your ideal customer personas to best optimize your B2B website.Persona development should be a mandatory process for each B2B company looking to further their marketing efforts online. Your personas serve as the North Star for your digital marketing. All too often companies jump the gun and begin rolling out websites, marketing campaigns, and paid advertising without acknowledging the specific interests and behavior of their ideal customer profiles.Persona Development Example:This process is quite fun and you can even make it a little easier by using some of your existing clients that you consider to be ideal. Give your customer persona a name, some general interests, and most importantly their underlying problems that you might be able to help solve. Keep these personas handy because you will be referring to them in each of your marketing initiatives and assignments.In regards to your website, one of the immediate benefits you will see when attracting relevant prospects to your website are improved bounce rates and conversion metrics. Qualified traffic means an increase in engagement across your site, and an uptick in lead generation as well. In 2016, 71% of companies who exceed revenue and lead goals have documented Personas.3. Use CTA’s generouslyNow that you have your ideal customers in mind as you are writing copy for your website, it is time to give your users something to bite on to. Every successful B2B website is equipped with strategically placed and well written out call-to-action’s on each of their pages.We must first point out that CTAs should not be a one size fits all approach. The days of CTA buttons simply stating “submit” or “send” are over. Each CTA is there to serve a very specific purpose. For example, if you are an environmental consulting firm, you may want to write copy on your CTA that reads, “Request a Free Site Survey”.The goal with CTAs should be to focus on the value proposition and benefits to spark your prospects interest. When CTAs successfully do this, you see a much higher conversion and an increase in leads being generated across your website.Effective Call To Action Example:Hopefully by now you have identified the various stages of your customer journey or the buying cycle. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do that because CTAs should be clearly laid out to supplement offers you have along each stage of the buying cycle. Some call to actions may simply be created to get users to subscribe to your newsletters, while others like “download demo” or “request a consultation” are much further down the funnel.Here is a quick checklist for an effective CTA1. Eye-Catching Design – Incorporate a color that compliments your banding guidelines but offers a good contrast so that the CTA clearly stands out.2. Clear Value Proposition – People should know exactly what they are clicking on. For instance, it should be clear if they can expect to get an eBook download or a software demo.3. Copy that Drives Action – Include actionable verbs and first person phrasing to catch users’ attention and keep it in between 5-7 words. ContentVerve saw a 90% increase in click-through rate by using first-person phrasing: “Start MY free 30 day trial” vs. “Start YOUR free 30 day trial.”4. Align Your CTA with a Specific Stage in the Sales Cycle – Tailor your CTAs and offers for a specific stage of the buying cycle. By providing content relevant to where this buyer is in their journey, you have a better chance in creating a lasting connection.Invest the time and energy into a well thought out CTA strategy and you will see the fruits of your labor. There will be an uptick in leads generated including leads that are well aligned with your solutions.4.Focus on Creating Educational ContentWe are in the information age, where people search the web to find answers. In 2016, there were over 2 trillion Google searches. There are a lot of people looking for answers and this gives B2B marketers a great opportunity to educate.When you focus on creating educational content more than just promotional content, you have a much better chance of gaining the trust of your prospects. We have a general rule of thumb where we recommend making your content 80% educational and 20% promotional. Prospects appreciate this because they value the knowledge you provide, and if they are in fact learning, they don’t mind the promotional side of the content either.If you are a small business owner or a B2B marketer who is competing for space online through inbound marketing efforts, your top priority should be to create educational content. A good way to think of it is to imagine your content marketing plan as the vehicle and your educational content as the fuel. Your educational content is what is responsible for attracting people to your website and it helps convert that traffic into qualified leads.Here are 5 great tips that will help you create educational content that helps with B2B lead generation:Tip 1 – Tell a helpful storyYour top goal should be to provide a helpful experience for your end user, and a great way to do that is through effective content marketing. Regardless if you are creating content that is video, audio, email, or blog based, telling a helpful story will assist prospects with making well-informed decisions that they are confident in.Tip 2 – Create interactive content that engagesThere is a good chance your prospects are scouring the web and reading content from various competitors prior to making their buying decisions. Try and take the time to create content that is truly original and highly engaging. If all your competitors are just blogging and writing eBooks, consider developing interactive infographics and engaging explainer videos.Tip 3 – Become a thought leaderDon’t be afraid to showcase your subject matter expertise and create engaging how-to content. This will portray you in the light of being a thought leader. You don’t have to worry about giving away too much information because most prospects are still looking for someone to fulfill the work. Also, the more they know how you think and what you know, the more confident they are in choosing your company.Tip 4 – Personalize the content experienceOnce you manage to capture a prospect’s contact information, you now have a great opportunity to begin to personalize content for them. You should be delivering content that is relevant to them via email. On top of that you can personalize the messaging in the email so they feel like you are addressing them directly.Tip 5 – Educate your current customersIn addition to creating content for new leads, you also want to be creating content that also helps retain your current client base. You can look to help cross sale and upsale. If you are currently considering the implementation of a marketing automation tool, it can help automate the distribution of your content to your current customers.Great example of educational content offer by Hatchbuck5. Leverage Inbound Marketing SoftwareOnce you decide to ditch your old brochure site and invest in a B2B lead generating website, you are going to have to start thinking of your inbound marketing automation tools. Marketers using automation software generate 2X the number of leads than those using blast email software and are perceived by their peers to be 2X as effective at communicating. (Autopilot, 2015) Your goal now is to be able to nurture prospects with content that is highly personalized and helps convert those prospects into happy clients. Investing in inbound marketing software will help generate significant new opportunities and revenue for your company and the ROI is realized right away.Depending on the size of your B2B company and your deal flow, there are a number of different marketing automation platforms you can choose from. For startup companies operating on a tight budget we might recommend an inbound marketing software solution like Hatchbuck that starts off under $100. Many of our small and mid-size clients love the ease of use and user friendly UI that Hubspot has to offer. For larger enterprises and legacy sized companies, Oracle’s Eloqua marketing automation tool is very popular since it can easily integrate with 3rd party CRM platforms like Salesforce.Image Credit: Techno FAQ7 critical considerations for selecting the right inbound marketing software1. Is free training included with your purchase? If not, how much is it extra?2. Does the software integrate with your current CRM solution so that information can flow freely between the two platforms?3. How does pricing scale? Most platforms charge based off database size and user seats.4. Ask if the software is designed to be used for both your sales and marketing teams. Be sure to ask how each team can use it.5. Learn about the metrics and reporting features. What metrics are available to track campaign performance? Are reports customizable?6. Does the software offer responsive mobile optimized landing pages and forms, as well as responsive email templates? Are there any additional mobile technology needs that you have?7. What additional resources does the inbound marketing vendor offer? Providers like Hubspot offer great eBooks, blogs, and webinar resources that can help supplement your marketing knowledge base.In ConclusionThe strategies and tactics outlined above are no small task, but if you begin to chip away at them, you will see your old brochure site evolve into an effective B2B lead generation machine.Remember to focus on creating helpful and engaging content that your prospects will consume along the various stages of the buyer journey. This will help convert new visitors to your site into warm leads.Make sure your website is optimized not just for traffic acquisition but also for lead capture as well. Leverage CTAs that are paired with relevant content across your site so prospects can easily grab your content in exchange for their valuable contact info.Clearly identify your target audience by constantly updating your buyer personas throughout the year. Every time your company rolls out a new product or service, you will likely be opening doors to new types of customers. So be sure to outline that buyer type so you can be well prepared to effectively market towards them. The use of inbound marketing software will make your life much easier as you organize your marketing activities and manage your new lead generation machine.If you want to check out our original post “Turn Your Old Website into a B2B Lead Generation Machine”.Let me know if you have any questions or perhaps any additional strategies you think I might have missed. Good luck in your lead gen quest!