Properties of dual language input that shape bilingual development and properties of environments that shape dual language input

The Keynote Article is a very welcomed, timely, and incisive review article that examines theoretical and clinical implications of research on bilingual development and specific language impairment (SLI). Paradis provides a considered examination of the available evidence and takes into account a number of potential influencing factors. In particular, I want to commend her discussion of potential compensatory mechanisms that may play a role in bilingual development in SLI. This is often a neglected area in discussions concerning SLI. I also want to highlight that I agree wholeheartedly with her conclusion that the evidence to date “leans toward a positive attitude toward dual language learning for children with SLI who are in a supportive context for bilingualism.” This message is by no means universally accepted, nor is it put into action in therapeutic contexts across the United Kingdom and Europe. There is still much debate as to what type of advice should be given to parents and what the target language or languages of therapy should be (Harulow, 2008). This review article has therefore the potential not only to make a significant contribution to theory but also to practice.

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Dual language exposure and early bilingual development

Journal of Child Language ◽

10.1017/s0305000910000759 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 1-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 354

Author(s):

ERIKA HOFF ◽

CYNTHIA CORE ◽

SILVIA PLACE ◽

ROSARIO RUMICHE ◽

MELISSA SEÑOR ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Language Acquisition ◽

Language Development ◽

Dual Language ◽

Extant Literature ◽

Language Exposure ◽

Bilingual Development

ABSTRACTThe extant literature includes conflicting assertions regarding the influence of bilingualism on the rate of language development. The present study compared the language development of equivalently high-SES samples of bilingually and monolingually developing children from 1 ; 10 to 2 ; 6. The monolingually developing children were significantly more advanced than the bilingually developing children on measures of both vocabulary and grammar in single language comparisons, but they were comparable on a measure of total vocabulary. Within the bilingually developing sample, all measures of vocabulary and grammar were related to the relative amount of input in that language. Implications for theories of language acquisition and for understanding bilingual development are discussed.

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What do bilingual infants actually hear? Evaluating measures of language input to bilingual-learning 10-month-olds

10.31234/osf.io/2qnhw ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Adriel John Orena ◽

Krista Byers-Heinlein ◽

Linda Polka

Keyword(s):

Dual Language ◽

Parent Report ◽

Absolute Amount ◽

Environment Analysis ◽

Parent Reports ◽

Language Input ◽

Language Environment ◽

Bilingual Learning ◽

Full Day ◽

Quantitative Nature

Examining how bilingual infants experience their dual language input is important for understanding bilingual language acquisition. To assess these language experiences, researchers typically conduct language interviews with caregivers. However, little is known about the reliability of these parent reports in describing how bilingual children actually experience dual language input. Here, we explored the quantitative nature of dual language input to bilingual infants. Further, we described some of the heterogeneity of bilingual exposure in a sample of French-English bilingual families. Participants were twenty-one families with a 10-month-old infant residing in Montréal, Canada. First, we conducted language interviews with the caregivers. Then, each family completed three full-day recordings at home using the LENA (Language Environment Analysis) recording system. Results showed that children’s proportion exposure to each language was consistent across the two measurement approaches, indicating that parent reports are reliable for assessing a bilingual child’s language experiences. Further exploratory analyses revealed three unique findings: (1) there can be considerable variability in the absolute amount of input among infants hearing the same proportion of input, (2) infants can hear different proportions of language input when considering infant-directed versus overheard speech, (3) proportion of language input can vary by day, depending on who is caring for the infant. We conclude that collecting naturalistic recordings is complementary to parent-report measures for assessing infant’s language experiences and for establishing bilingual profiles.

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Heterogeneity in the trajectories of US Latine mothers’ dual-language input from infancy to preschool

First Language ◽

10.1177/0142723720915401 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 275-299

Author(s):

Rufan Luo ◽

Kelly Escobar ◽

Catherine S. Tamis-LeMonda

Keyword(s):

Educational Level ◽

Dual Language ◽

Language Use ◽

Picture Book ◽

Preschool Language ◽

Maternal Language ◽

Trajectories Of Change ◽

Language Input ◽

English Dominant ◽

Book Sharing

We longitudinally examined the trajectories of Latine mothers’ ( N = 116) language input to their children during book-sharing interactions at four points in development, when children were between ages 2 and 5 years. Mother–child dyads were video-recorded sharing a wordless picture book, and transcriptions of mothers’ and children’s language yielded word types in Spanish and English at each assessment wave. Three distinct trajectories of change in mothers’ dual-language use were identified. Some mothers shifted from Spanish-dominant input to more balanced input between English and Spanish; other mothers provided English-dominant input and used more English and less Spanish over time; and the remaining mothers were stable in their Spanish-dominant input across child ages. Mothers’ immigration background, educational level, and children’s preschool language experiences each uniquely predicted trajectories of maternal language input. In general, children showed similar trajectories as their mothers, although mismatch occurred for some dyads at the later ages. The dual-language environments of Latine children are dynamic and shaped by individual and contextual factors.

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Quantity-Focused Language Input Intervention: Impact on Adult Words Delivered to At-Risk Dual Language Learners

Journal of Research in Childhood Education ◽

10.1080/02568543.2020.1783400 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 91-110

Author(s):

Mary Claire Wofford ◽

Carla Wood

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Language Learners ◽

Dual Language ◽

Dual Language Learners ◽

Intervention Impact ◽

Language Input

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Effects and noneffects of input in bilingual environments on dual language skills in 2 ½-year-olds

Bilingualism Language and Cognition ◽

10.1017/s1366728915000322 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 1023-1041 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

SILVIA PLACE ◽

ERIKA HOFF

Keyword(s):

Data Base ◽

Quality Indicators ◽

Quality Indicator ◽

Dual Language ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Language Skills ◽

Diary Method ◽

Language Mixing ◽

Bilingual Development ◽

Positive Quality

Recent findings suggest some properties of input in dual-language environments that influence its value for bilingual development, but the extant data base is small and sometimes inconclusive. The present study sought additional evidence regarding three quality indicators: the percent of input provided by native speakers, the number of different speakers providing input, and the frequency of language mixing. Participants were 90 thirty-month-olds exposed to Spanish and English. Using the Language Diary method to assess input and using multiple measures of children's bilingual skills, results replicated previous findings that the percent of input provided by native speakers is a positive quality indicator and found suggestive evidence that the number of speakers is also a positive quality indicator. There was little evidence that the frequency of language mixing is a negative indicator. These findings advance understanding of sources of variability in bilingual outcomes and have implications for programs to support bilingual development.

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Effects of a Supplemental Spanish Phonological Awareness Intervention on Latinx Preschoolers' Dual Language Emergent Literacy Skills

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2020_ajslp-20-00029 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 1283-1300

Author(s):

Xigrid T. Soto ◽

Andres Crucet-Choi ◽

Howard Goldstein

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Phonological Awareness ◽

Emergent Literacy ◽

Language Learners ◽

Literacy Instruction ◽

Dual Language ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Dual Language Learners ◽

Probe Design ◽

Emergent Literacy Skills

Purpose Preschoolers' phonological awareness (PA) and alphabet knowledge (AK) skills are two of the strongest predictors of future reading. Despite evidence that providing at-risk preschoolers with timely emergent literacy interventions can prevent academic difficulties, there is a scarcity of research focusing on Latinx preschoolers who are dual language learners. Despite evidence of benefits of providing Latinxs with Spanish emergent literacy instruction, few studies include preschoolers. This study examined the effects of a supplemental Spanish PA and AK intervention on the dual emergent literacy skills of at-risk Latinx preschoolers. Method A multiple probe design across four units of instruction evaluated the effects of a Spanish supplemental emergent literacy intervention that explicitly facilitated generalizations to English. Four Latinx preschoolers with limited emergent literacy skills in Spanish and English participated in this study. Bilingual researchers delivered scripted lessons targeting PA and AK skills in individual or small groups for 12–17 weeks. Results Children made large gains as each PA skill was introduced into intervention and generalized the PA skills they learned from Spanish to English. They also improved their English initial sound identification skills, a phonemic awareness task, when instruction was delivered in Spanish but with English words. Children made small to moderate gains in their Spanish letter naming and letter–sound correspondence skills and in generalizing this knowledge to English. Conclusion These findings provide preliminary evidence Latinx preschoolers who are dual language learners benefit from emergent literacy instruction that promotes their bilingual and biliterate development.

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Dynamic Assessment Language Tasks and the Prediction of Performance on Year-End Language Skills in Preschool Dual Language Learners

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2019_ajslp-19-00120 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 1226-1240

Author(s):

Janet L. Patterson ◽

Barbara L. Rodríguez ◽

Philip S. Dale

Keyword(s):

Head Start ◽

Language Learners ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Dual Language ◽

Dynamic Assessment ◽

Dual Language Learners ◽

Achievement Testing ◽

Potential Applications ◽

Language Screening ◽

Relationship Of

Purpose Early identification is a key element for accessing appropriate services for preschool children with language impairment. However, there is a high risk of misidentifying typically developing dual language learners as having language impairment if inappropriate tools designed for monolingual children are used. In this study of children with bilingual exposure, we explored performance on brief dynamic assessment (DA) language tasks using graduated prompting because this approach has potential applications for screening. We asked if children's performance on DA language tasks earlier in the year was related to their performance on a year-end language achievement measure. Method Twenty 4-year-old children from Spanish-speaking homes attending Head Start preschools in the southwestern United States completed three DA graduated prompting language tasks 3–6 months prior to the Head Start preschools' year-end achievement testing. The DA tasks, Novel Adjective Learning, Similarities in Function, and Prediction, were administered in Spanish, but correct responses in English or Spanish were accepted. The year-end achievement measure, the Learning Accomplishment Profile–Third Edition (LAP3), was administered by the children's Head Start teachers, who also credited correct responses in either language. Results Children's performance on two of the three DA language tasks was significantly and positively related to year-end LAP3 language scores, and there was a moderate and significant relationship for one of the DA tasks, even when controlling for age and initial LAP3 scores. Conclusions Although the relationship of performance on DA with year-end performance varies across tasks, the findings indicate potential for using a graduated prompting approach to language screening with young dual language learners. Further research is needed to select the best tasks for administration in a graduated prompting framework and determine accuracy of identification of language impairment.

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