Language is one of the most remarkable achievements of early childhood, forming the foundation for communication, cognitive development, and lifelong learning. But how do infants and young children acquire language, and what can parents, caregivers, and educators do to support this critical developmental process?

Join Associate Professor Karen Mattock from the MARCS Institute BabyLab and School of Psychology at Western Sydney University for an engaging webinar exploring the science of early language development. Drawing on cutting-edge research in infant speech perception, babbling, and word learning across diverse linguistic contexts, this session will examine:

The foundations of language learning: How infants process speech sounds, tones, and patterns from birth, progressing through babbling to early word learning
Supporting monolingual and bilingual learners: Evidence-based strategies for fostering rich language environments in both single-language and dual-language contexts, including how young children successfully acquire two languages simultaneously, cross-linguistic influences, and the role of language exposure
Factors that shape language growth: The impact of infant-directed speech, quality and quantity of language input, and environmental factors on developmental trajectories
Practical applications: Actionable insights for parents, educators, and practitioners to optimise language interaction during the critical early years
Why early language matters: The long-term impacts of early language development on literacy, academic success, and social-emotional wellbeing

Whether you're working with monolingual or bilingual families, this webinar will equip you with research-informed strategies to support every child's linguistic journey during the crucial first years of life.

Webinar details

Tuesday, 4 November
11.30am - 12.30pm
Online via Zoom
FREE
This session will be recorded
Slides will be shared after the event

About Dr Karen Mattock

Associate Professor Karen Mattock is a developmental psychology researcher at MARCS Institute’s Babylab and the School of Psychology at Western Sydney University. Her research focuses on language development in infancy and early childhood, with particular expertise in speech perception, babbling, and word learning in both monolingual and bilingual children.

Dr. Mattock completed her PhD at Western Sydney University in 2005, investigating English and Chinese infants' speech perception, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University's Centre for Research in Language, Mind and Brain, and a Research Council UK Fellowship at Lancaster University. She returned to Western Sydney University in 2012. Her most significant contributions are in understanding how infants perceive and process speech sounds across different languages, and identifying the factors that influence early language development, including language exposure, bilingualism, and infant-directed speech. Her work bridges fundamental research with practical applications for parents, educators, and practitioners supporting young children's language learning.