Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
07:56
Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Patterns of Mother, Father, and Child Code-Switching and Links With Child Language Development
Ines Juhee Sohn1, Bonnie K Lau2, Sara T Kover1
1Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle.
Summary
Bilingual toddlers
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Child Language Acquisition
- Bilingualism
Background:
- Code-switching is common in bilingual speakers but its role in language acquisition is not fully understood.
- The association between parental and child code-switching patterns requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine code-switching between Spanish-English toddlers and their parents.
- To determine if parent code-switching associates with toddler code-switching.
- To assess if parent and child code-switching predicts toddlers' vocabulary and word learning.
Main Methods:
- 23 toddlers (23-36 months) and their parents participated.
- Daylong audio recordings captured code-switching instances.
- Parent reports measured vocabulary; a fast-mapping task assessed word learning.
Main Results:
- Parent and toddler code-switching varied significantly.
- Maternal and paternal code-switching showed different associations with child code-switching.
- Language exposure and parent code-switching predicted vocabulary differently for Spanish and English.
Conclusions:
- Code-switching may support bilingual language development within a translanguaging framework.
- Maternal and paternal contributions to code-switching are distinct.
- Family dynamics and culturally informed approaches are crucial for understanding bilingual development.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Language Development
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
01:28Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
01:24Components of Language
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs. “eh”). Phonemes combine to...
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
01:27Parenting Styles
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...