Infant-directed speech is also known as which term?

• A. Silent Period
• B. Affective Filter
• C. Motherese
• D. Critical Period

Answer: (C)

Infant-directed speech is best described as motherese. This is the distinct way adults often talk to babies—higher pitch, slower tempo, exaggerated intonation, clearer articulation, and repetition—that helps capture the infant’s attention and makes the sound patterns of language easier to hear and imitate. This style supports early language learning by highlighting syllables, words, and rhythms that infants will later map to meanings.

It’s not a term from the other options: the Silent Period refers to a stage in some second-language learners when they listen but don’t speak; the Affective Filter is a Krashen theory about emotional barriers to language learning; the Critical Period denotes a developmental window for language acquisition, not a label for speech directed at infants.