Language researchers agree that our language development progresses from babbling answer

No, false. A component that is not included here, although it is true babbling is part of the progression of language production. An earlier stage is often referred to as the "Silent Period", one in which a child is more passively listening and acquiring the language. Certainly there can be meaningless noises and what might be considered babbling, but there are also gray areas, where it is difficult to determine which one came first, but clearly any real attempt at speech production via babbling would first require language acquisition during the "Silent Period." In addition, before babbling is crying and cooing which are the initial vocalizations in young babies.