Cross-linguistic influence in simultaneous and early sequential bilingual children: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Linguistics
• Psychology

Background:

• Cross-linguistic influence in morphosyntax is a key area in child bilingualism research.
• The specific conditions triggering this influence remain unclear, hindering theoretical development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the effect size of cross-linguistic influence in young bilinguals.
• To identify predictors of cross-linguistic influence, such as language dominance, surface overlap, language domain, and age.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis of 26 experimental studies involving 750 simultaneous and early sequential bilingual children.
• Assessment of effect sizes and systematic evaluation of potential predictors across 17 language combinations.

Main Results:

• A significant small to moderate average effect size for cross-linguistic influence was found, confirming its prevalence.
• Societal language dominance emerged as a significant predictor, while surface overlap, language domain, and age did not.
• Considerable variation in the definition and operationalization of cross-linguistic influence and its predictors across studies was observed.

Conclusions:

• Cross-linguistic influence is an integral aspect of bilingual development.
• The lack of standardized methodologies impedes the creation of a comprehensive theory.
• A call for uniform research methods is made to advance the field of child bilingualism.