What is babbling considered to be in the context of infant communication?

Babbling is regarded as the earliest form of true communication in infants. During the babbling stage, typically occurring around 4 to 6 months of age, infants begin to produce repetitive consonant-vowel combinations, such as "ba-ba" or "da-da." This stage is crucial in language development as it sets the foundation for later speech. While babbling may not yet convey specific meanings akin to words, it serves as an important signal of the infant's cognitive engagement and their developing communication skills. Through babbling, infants practice the sounds of their language, experimenting with vocalization while also capturing the attention of caregivers, which is vital for fostering social interaction and language acquisition.