Bubble-blowing infants may learn language quickly.

ISLAMABAD, June 19, 2009 (Balochistan Times) --Infants capable of performing complex mouth movements like blowing bubbles and licking their lips are more likely to pick up language quickly, researchers say. Alcock and fellow researchers at Lancaster University in Britain studied 120 toddlers and carried out a series of tests to identify skills that might predict a childs ability to develop language, BBC Radio reported. They looked at the infants ability to perform hand gestures and mouth movements and to carry out tasks involving puzzles and pretend play. The childrens language ability was also assessed through a parental questionnaire, word games with simple images, and monitoring during normal play. Toddlers go through a period of very rapid language development and those who get the ability to perform complex mouth movements such as blowing bubbles and licking their lips have better language development skills, the researchers say. The study also found children who were good at pretending an object was something else had better language skills. Apart from oral motor skills (like blowing bubbles), the study found that hand gestures such as waving or making shapes were associated with better language development. However, other movements such as walking and running were not.

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