How do babies communicate?

6 Minute English

BBC

Language Learning, Education

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 19 June 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

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Summary

How do babies let their parents know what they want when they can't speak? Beth and Neil discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-250619

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Want more from BBC Learning English?
0:03.6	Test your level with our online quizzes.
0:06.9	Learn new phrases from your favourite presenters
0:09.3	and find transcripts of our programmes to help you read along.
0:14.0	Head to our website, BBClearningEnglish.com.
0:20.3	6 Minute English. From BBC LearningEnglish.com 6 minute English from BBC learning English.com
0:25.3	Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.
0:31.8	And I'm Beth. As an adult, when I need to tell somebody something, I just open my mouth and speak. Neal, I'm hungry.
0:40.7	Ah, you'd better get something to eat then. And when I want something, it's the same. I just ask,
0:47.3	can you pass me that pen, please, Beth? Yeah, there you go. So that's now, but as babies, we're not able to speak. We can only communicate with our bodies or by crying. We can't clothe, feed or wash ourselves. We rely on others totally for our survival. We've all been one, but how do newborn babies tell mum and dad what's going on before they can speak?
1:13.3	That's what we'll be investigating in this episode, along with some useful new vocabulary,
1:18.2	all of which you can find on our website, BBClearningEnglish.com.
1:22.3	Baby communication is a topic child psychotherapist, Marie de de Rome writes about in her new book,
1:29.6	what your baby wants you to know. So what do newborn babies want us to know? Well, here's
1:36.7	Marie's answer. I think they want us to know that they need us 100% because without us, they won't survive.
1:47.0	Without someone caring for them, babies wouldn't survive. So on a basic level, every baby is saying,
1:53.0	take care of me. Marie says babies need us 100%. She uses the phrase 100% to emphasize that what
2:00.7	she said is completely true.
2:02.7	And we'll hear more soon, but first I have a question for you, Neil.
2:07.0	Although they look small and helpless, babies are born with some amazing abilities.
2:12.9	So which of the following statements about newborn babies is true?
2:18.3	A, babies are born with a full set of teeth.
	...

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