Department of Language and Linguistic Science

Project: A new intervention using the BabblePlay app for populations at risk for language delay

Posted on 11 August 2022

Cross departmental research project in York to support better language outcomes for babies from low socioeconomic families and with Down Syndrome

The Department of Language and Linguistic Science is delighted to announce that Prof Tamar Keren-Portnoy has recently been awarded a University of York internal funding award for the following cross departmental project: ‘A new intervention using the BabblePlay app for populations at risk for language delay’.

The grant is in collaboration with Dr. Helena Daffern from Electronic Engineering at York and Prof. Mona Kanaan from Health Sciences at York, and with two external collaborators - Dr. Kelly Burgoyne from The University of Manchester and Prof. Sue Buckley from the 'Down Syndrome Education International' (DSE) charity, that seeks to improve early intervention and education for children with Down syndrome around the world.

The project aims to support better language outcomes for babies from low socioeconomic (SES) families and for babies with Down Syndrome, through BabblePlay, an app we have developed, which encourages babbling.

"Our research has shown that babble practice changes the way babies listen to speech and equips them for starting to use words. This grant will allow us to develop our research in more applied directions. It makes me very happy to think that what started out as interesting intellectual questions about the influence of babble on language learning may prove helpful for actual babies and their families and may be useful to early years clinicians."

- Prof Tamar Keren-Portnoy, Dept. Language and Linguistic Science