Turn down the noise, let language find its way in

How do infants learn language? Development psychologist Janet F Werker discovered that language acquisition begins even before birth, through sounds heard in the womb: lullabies, babbling, and conversations overheard but not yet understood. The ability to listen shapes a child's grasp of language. A recent study by University College London and Tohoku University, Japan, follows up on this and suggests that the best way to learn a new language is to focus on its sounds before tackling its grammar.

Researchers tested Japanese learners of English and found that more accomplished learners processed unfamiliar words in much the same way as they would any non-speech sound, relying less on the left sensorimotor network associated with their native language. This finding, while of particular interest to linguistics and development psychology, also offers a broader philosophical lesson.

In an era dominated by incessant noise and self-appointed certainties, it may be wise to turn down the volume. To truly understand another person, one must create space for a voice different from one's own. The skilled language learner demonstrates that listening is an act of hospitality, and in that simple courtesy of withholding judgment, comprehension can take hold.