Abstract

This research aims to analyze the evolution of scientific production related to the development of oral language in the preschool stage. For this purpose, a longitudinal descriptive bibliometric analysis was conducted using a sample of 115 documents indexed in Scopus between 1973 and 2023. The results reflect an average annual growth rate of 4.71% over the last decade, indicating a contemporary interest in this subject. A high degree of international academic collaboration is also observed, as represented by the 19.13% of cross-border coauthorships among the 374 researchers that make up the intellectual production network, highlighting the influence of these studies in the global scientific sphere. Semantic analysis through visual scientometry reveals the multifaceted nature of this field of study, with several interrelated subthemes, although with a tendency toward applied approaches from psycholinguistics, as well as an emerging emphasis on gender differences and sociocultural context in the early acquisition of oral communicative skills. The findings offer an updated perspective on the state of oral language development, key dynamics, and opportunities in this strategic area of research, promoting well-being, learning, and successful educational trajectories from the earliest years of life.