This text presents a broad picture of language development from foetal development to the toddler years, and examines a range of questions: how do newborns recognize elements of speech?; how do they distinguish them from non-speech sounds?; how do they organize and analyze them?; how do they ultimately come to understand and reproduce these sounds?; and how does the ability to communicate through language emerge in children? The author also addresses questions of particular interest to parents, such as whether one should speak to children in a special way to facilitate language learning and whether there is cause to worry when a 20-month-old child does not yet speak. A feature of the book is the author's research and dialogue with her many young subjects.