I know that a lot of learning occurs by watching and following. This is why when we swear or something like that we are not surprised (although sometimes embarrassed) when they repeat it. Is the repeating language and watching for context and meaning a hard wired process?
The reason I ask: Adrian was sleeping in his room. I came in a midnight to make sure he was tucked in and well covered. I being terminally clumsy stepped on a toy. It cracked rather loudly. My response was, "Shoot." It was a loud whisper. Without missing a beat or waking up, Adrian responded with his own, "Shoot." It really threw me.
Many people use the sponge metaphor. They soak everything up. Even while they are sleeping?
