Editing Utterance (section)

== Child-directed speech ==
{{main|Child-directed speech}}
[[File:Mother Kissing Baby.jpg|thumb|A mother kissing her baby daughter]]
The development of utterances in children is facilitated by parents, adults, or any other guardian the child has growing up. Studies have indicated that this development is affected by the parent, adult, or guardian's [[socioeconomic status]] (SES). It has been shown that children whose parents received more education and have higher SES have larger vocabularies and learn new words more quickly during early childhood while children with less educated parents and lower SES have a smaller vocabulary and a slower growth in their [[vocabulary]] skills (Arriaga, Fenson, Cronan & Pethick, 1998; Hart & Risley, 1995; Hoff, Laursen & Tardif, 2002; Hoff-Ginsberg, 1991; Lawrence & Shipley, 1996; Ninio, 1980).<ref name=":0" /> This correlation is due to the fact that more educated parents use more lexises when speaking to their children as opposed to parents who are less educated (Hart & Risley, 1995; Hoff, 2003 a; Huttenlocher, Vasilyeva, Waterfall, Vevea & Hedges, in press).<ref name=":0" /> Hoff's 2003 analysis supports this correlation and shows that the mean length of utterance and vocabulary of mothers who talk to their children is related to their SES status and thus child vocabulary development. For instance, high-SES mothers use longer utterances and a wider variety of [[Word|words]] when talking to their children. These mothers also spend more time talking to their children while low-SES mothers use shorter utterances and a smaller vocabulary. As a result, children with parents who are more educated have larger vocabularies (Hoff, 2003).<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Rowe|first=Meredith|title=Child-directed speech: relation to socioeconomic status, knowledge of child development and child vocabulary skill|url=https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/13041206/Rowe_JCL_2008.pdf?sequence=1|journal= Journal of Child Language|volume= 35|issue=1|pages=185–205|pmid=18300434|year=2008|doi=10.1017/S0305000907008343|s2cid=7927629}}</ref>

In child-directed speech, utterances have several additional features. For example, the [[phonology]] in child-directed speech is different: Utterances are spoken more slowly, with longer pauses in between utterances, higher pitches, etc. The lexis and semantics differ, and a speaker uses words suited for children, "doggie" instead of "dog", for example. The grammar is simpler, repetitive, with less use of verbs and adjectives. There is a greater use of one word utterances and the [[pragmatics]] uses supportive language like expansions and re-casting.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/english-language/child-language-acquisition/child-directed-speech|title=Child Directed Speech {{!}} a2-level-level-revision, english-language, child-language-acquisition, child-directed-speech {{!}} Revision World|website=revisionworld.com|access-date=2016-10-05}}</ref>