California Teacher Credentialing Examination (CSET) Practice Test 2026 - Free CSET Practice Questions and Study Guide

Habituation plays a significant role in language development as it refers to the process by which a child becomes accustomed to a stimulus after repeated exposure. This allows children to discern and recognize patterns in language, including sounds and rhythms, facilitating their ability to learn through the repetition of word sounds.

In the context of language acquisition, habituation enables infants to focus on novel sounds that are more complex or that carry meaning, while filtering out familiar sounds that they already recognize. This is crucial in their development, as they can then distinguish between different phonemes and begin to associate sounds with particular words and meanings, enhancing their language learning experience.

Repetition and exposure are foundational aspects of how children gather the necessary phonetic and lexical resources to build their language skills, thus making the focus on learning through the repetition of word sounds a core component of language development.