30. A seven-month-old baby begins vocalizing consonant-vowel sequences such as ma-ma-ma and da-da-da. Which form of intentional vocalization does this illustrate?
Answer: C
This illustrates babbling.
Babbling refers to the stage in language development where infants produce consonant-vowel combinations, such as "ma-ma-ma" and "da-da-da." This form of intentional vocalization typically occurs around six to ten months of age.
A) Gesturing
Gesturing involves the use of body movements to communicate, such as waving or pointing, rather than vocalizing. While gestures are an important part of early communication, they do not include the vocal sounds produced by infants, which makes this option incorrect.
B) Cooing
Cooing typically occurs earlier in an infant's development, around two to three months of age, and consists of soft vowel sounds like "oo" and "aa." Although it's a crucial stage of vocal development, it does not involve the consonant-vowel sequences seen in babbling, making this option incorrect.
C) Babbling
Babbling is characterized by the repetition of consonant-vowel combinations, which is exactly what a seven-month-old baby exhibits with sounds like "ma-ma-ma" and "da-da-da." This stage represents a significant development in an infant's ability to experiment with sounds and is the correct answer.
D) Holophrasis
Holophrasis refers to the use of single words to convey complete ideas, typically occurring later in language development, around the age of one year. Since the vocalization described in the question does not consist of single words but rather syllable repetitions, this option is also incorrect.
Conclusion
Babbling stands out as the correct answer because it directly corresponds to the production of consonant-vowel sequences by infants, a key milestone in language development. Other options either pertain to earlier stages of vocalization or do not involve vocal sounds at all, reinforcing the distinction and correctness of babbling in this context.