Developing a Core Vocabulary List for Tagalog-English Bilingual Preschool-Age Children

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Many bilingual children use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.
• Existing AAC devices often lack culturally and linguistically responsive vocabulary, primarily offering English-translated content.
• This linguistic gap hinders effective communication for bilingual users.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create core vocabulary lists in Tagalog and English for Tagalog-English bilingual preschoolers.
• To develop linguistically and culturally appropriate AAC foundations for these children.
• To design bilingual communication boards tailored for Tagalog-English bilingual preschoolers.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of personal narrative language samples from 100 Tagalog-English bilingual children.
• Calculation of frequency and commonality scores for vocabulary words.
• Generation of separate core vocabulary lists for Tagalog and English.

Main Results:

• Identified 193 frequently used Tagalog words, 28 English words, and 60 Tagalog affixes.
• Determined core vocabulary: 56 Tagalog words, 3 English words, and 11 Tagalog affixes.
• Developed a Tagalog communication board and a bilingual Tagalog-English communication board integrating core vocabulary.

Conclusions:

• The developed Tagalog-English core vocabulary lists serve as a foundation for bilingual AAC systems.
• These resources promote equitable communication access for bilingual individuals.
• Culturally and linguistically responsive AAC is crucial for effective communication in diverse populations.