Speaking Rate in the Child-Directed Speech of Native English-speaking and Native Spanish-speaking Parents

When parents speak to their children, they adjust both the form and content of their speech. This input that children receive can impact their language development. Little is known about child-directed speech (CDS) in second language (L2) speech, but it is clear that L2 adult-directed speech (ADS) varies from native speech in a variety of ways. Rate of speech is one of the characteristics that differentiates ADS from CDS in monolingual speakers. This thesis examines the rate of speech in a group of native English-speakers (NES) and a group of native Spanish-speakers (NSS). In this study, both groups of parents spoke to their 30-month old children in a natural play setting. A first investigation compared the rate of speech between the two groups of parents in an English-language sample. A t-test revealed that speaking rate did not differ when measured in words per minute (WPM), but did differ when measured in syllables per minute (SPM). The NES group spoke significantly faster in English syllables per minute. A second investigation compared the rate of speech within the group of NSS parents, examining the differences between their CDS in English and in Spanish. A t-test revealed that the NSS parents spoke significantly faster in English when measured in WPM and significantly faster in Spanish when measured in SPM. Finally, correlations were used to examine any relationships between parent speaking rate and child language outcomes at 30 months. Results indicate that there were no correlations between parent speaking rate and child language outcomes in either group for either language. The findings from our first investigation suggest that SPM is a more sensitive measure than WPM, and, thus, individuals should consider using SPM in future studies of rate when studying Spanish-English bilinguals. The findings from our second investigation highlight the difficulties of studying rate across different languages. The outcomes of our correlational studies indicate that parent rate of speech may not be relevant to language outcomes for bilingual children at 30 months.