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Predicting Spanish-English bilingual children's language abilities
Carol Scheffner Hammer1, Eugene Komaroff, Barbara L Rodriguez
1Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Hammer:carol.hammer@temple.edu
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|February 17, 2012
Summary
Bilingual children's language development, including vocabulary and story recall, is significantly influenced by their exposure to and use of both languages, alongside maternal characteristics. Understanding these sociolinguistic factors is crucial for research and education.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Linguistics
- Psychology
Background:
- Bilingualism presents unique challenges and opportunities for language acquisition.
- Understanding factors influencing bilingual children's language skills is vital for educational and research contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors affecting bilingual children's vocabulary and story recall in both of their languages.
- To identify the specific sociolinguistic and maternal influences on bilingual language development.
Main Methods:
- 191 Latino families and their children (average age 59 months) participated.
- Data collected on parental characteristics, and children's Spanish/English exposure and usage.
- Children's Spanish and English vocabulary and story recall assessed using the Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey-Revised.
Main Results:
- Children's language exposure and usage, along with maternal characteristics, explained significant variance in both English (R2=.61) and Spanish (R2=.55) vocabulary scores.
- Factors also explained variance in English (R2=.38) and Spanish (R2=.19) story recall, with different factors impacting each language skill.
- Distinct sets of factors influenced vocabulary and story recall in each of the two languages.
Conclusions:
- Exposure to and use of both languages, plus maternal characteristics, are key drivers of bilingual children's language development.
- Gathering detailed sociolinguistic information is essential for research and educational assessments of bilingual children.
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