Vocabulary Gains in Bilingual Narrative Intervention

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Bilingualism Research
• Child Language Acquisition

Background:

• Bilingual children often face unique challenges in language development.
• Understanding cross-linguistic transfer is crucial for effective language interventions.
• The interplay between home and school language development needs further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess vocabulary growth in Hebrew and English for bilingual children via narrative intervention.
• To investigate cross-linguistic transfer effects between Hebrew and English during intervention.
• To examine vocabulary skill maintenance post-intervention.

Main Methods:

• Employed a block design intervention, focusing on one language at a time.
• Utilized an adapted Puente de Cuentos narrative intervention with 16 English-Hebrew bilingual children.
• Measured vocabulary using a word definition task at multiple time points: pre-intervention, post-English intervention, post-Hebrew intervention, and 4 weeks post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Children demonstrated significant vocabulary gains in the language receiving direct intervention.
• Cross-linguistic transfer was observed, with vocabulary gains in Hebrew during English intervention.
• No significant English vocabulary gains were found following Hebrew intervention.

Conclusions:

• Language support in the home language is essential for bilingual children's vocabulary growth.
• Intervention in the home language does not negatively impact school language development.
• Bilingual narrative interventions can yield positive outcomes in both targeted and non-targeted languages.