Infant-directed talk, or Motherese, is described as:

• A. Child-directed communication to enhance language development
• B. Adult-directed complex speech
• C. Silent instruction
• D. Nonverbal only

Answer: (A)

Infant-directed talk is the way caregivers tailor their speech specifically for the infant to support language learning. This style features higher pitch, exaggerated intonation, slower tempo, simpler sentence structure, and more repetition, along with frequent labeling and responsive turn-taking. These characteristics grab the infant’s attention, make speech easier to hear and parse, and help map sounds to meanings. By keeping the interaction social and contingent, it also promotes joint attention and active participation, both of which are crucial for early word learning and understanding.

Because of this purpose and these features, the best description is a form of child-directed communication designed to enhance language development. It is not adult-directed complex speech, not silent instruction, and not nonverbal-only.