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Reconstructing Multilingual Development Research: Shifting from a Monolingual Bias and Toward a Developmental Systems
Marissa A Castellana1, Viridiana L Benitez1
1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA.
Multilingual research needs to move beyond a monolingual bias. A new developmental systems framework centers the dynamic, lived language experiences of multilingual children for richer understanding.
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Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Sociology
Background:
- Multilingual research has historically relied on a monolingual framework, limiting theoretical development.
- This bias overlooks the complexities of diverse developmental trajectories in language and cognition for multilingual individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the limitations of a monolingual bias in multilingual research.
- To propose a developmental systems framework that centers the lived language experiences of multilingual children.
- To shift the focus from a monolingual perspective to a dynamic, interactional understanding of multilingual development.
Main Methods:
- Application of a developmental systems framework.
- Analysis of moment-to-moment, multimodal interactions between children, social partners, and environments.
- Consideration of child/partner characteristics and contextual factors influencing multilingual exposure.
Main Results:
- Identified limitations of the monolingual bias in current research.
- Proposed a framework emphasizing dynamic interactions, child/partner characteristics, and contextual factors.
- Highlighted key areas for future research in multilingual development.
Conclusions:
- A developmental systems framework can reorient multilingual development research.
- Centering lived experiences and dynamic interactions enriches understanding of multilingual learners.
- Future research should explore multimodal coordination, community-specific experiences, and temporal language patterns.