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Young L2 learners' performance on a novel morpheme task
Kathryn Kohnert1, Kerry Danahy
1University of Minnesota, MN 55455, USA. kohne005@umn.edu
Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
|June 15, 2007
Summary
This study found that typically developing bilingual children learned new language rules better in their first language (L1) than their second language (L2). Even then, not all children succeeded, highlighting language proficiency
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Education
Background:
- Invented language rules offer a potential unbiased method for assessing young second language (L2) learners.
- Differentiating specific language impairment from typical development in L2 learners is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of an invented language rule task for assessing typically developing sequential bilingual children.
- To compare learning abilities in L1 (Spanish) versus L2 (English) within this population.
Main Methods:
- 20 sequential bilingual children (ages 3:6-5:8) from a Head Start program participated.
- Children were randomly assigned to learn a novel language rule in either their L1 (Spanish) or L2 (English).
- Performance was evaluated based on rule acquisition.
Main Results:
- Children in the L1 group demonstrated superior performance compared to the L2 group.
- A significant portion of typically developing children struggled to learn the new rule, even in their dominant language.
- Performance correlated with specific language proficiency and individual differences.
Conclusions:
- Learning an invented language rule is influenced by a child's dominant language.
- This task may not be universally effective for all typically developing children.
- Language proficiency and individual learner characteristics are key factors in novel morpheme learning.
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