School-Year Grammatical Development in Narrative Retells: Spanish-English Dual Language Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 228-238
Author(s):  
Mary Claire Wofford ◽  
Carla L. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Oral Narrative ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Error Type ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
Narrative Assessment

Oral narrative retells are rich sources of information for language development. Investigators collected English-language oral narrative retells during the fall and spring from 65 Spanish-English-speaking dual language learners (DLL) in kindergarten and first grade. Investigators examined transcripts of oral narratives for (a) inclusion and accuracy of microstructural elements using the Narrative Assessment Protocol (NAP; Pence, Justice, & Gosse, 2007), (b) percentage of grammatical utterances, and (c) types of verb errors. Prepositional phrases, elaborated noun phrases, irregular past tense verbs, and copula verbs were the most prevalent grammatical forms. Omission errors were the most prevalent verb error type. DLLs’ narrative retells revealed significantly increased number of total NAP codes and diversity of NAP codes. Grammaticality of utterances increased from approximately 77% to 87% from fall to spring. All verb errors types decreased over the academic year. Direct feature coding approaches are useful for tracking developmental progress in DLLs’ retells.

English Narrative Language Growth Across the School Year: Young Spanish–English Dual Language Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Wood ◽  
Mary Claire Wofford ◽  
Clariebelle Gabas ◽  
Yaacov Petscher
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
School Year ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Language Growth ◽  
Story Elements

This study aimed to describe the narrative retell performance of dual language learners (DLLs) in the fall and spring of the school year and examine predictive relationships. Participants included 74 DLLs in kindergarten and first grade from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Microstructural measures included number of different words (NDW), words per minute (WPM), and verb accuracy. Macrostructural measures included number of total story elements and number of different types of story elements. Path analysis models were used to test the relations among variables. Findings indicated that narrative measures were sensitive to developmental differences across the school year. Fall NDW performance in narrative retells was moderately related to both spring NDW and the total number of macrostructural elements in the spring. Spring WPM was uniquely predicted by fall WPM. Authors concluded that narrative retells are sensitive to developmental differences across a school year for DLLs. Findings support the use of narrative retell measures as a promising tool to examine and describe English language growth of young DLLs within a school year.

scholarly journals Language and Literacy Together: Supporting Grammatical Development in Dual Language Learners With Risk for Language and Learning Difficulties

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Bedore ◽  
Elizabeth D. Peña ◽  
Christine Fiestas ◽  
Mirza J. Lugo-Neris
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Early Interventions ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

Purpose Early Interventions in Reading (Vaughn et al., 2006), the only literacy intervention with demonstrated effectiveness for U.S. dual language learners, was enhanced to support the development of oral language (vocabulary, grammar, and narrative) and literacy, which we refer to as “Language and Literacy Together.” The primary focus of this study is to understand the extent to which grammatical skills of bilinguals with risk for language and/or reading difficulties improve in the Language and Literacy Together intervention. Method Fifteen first-grade dual language learners with risk for language and/or reading difficulties participated in an enhanced version of Early Interventions in Reading in Spanish. Children completed pre- and postintervention evaluations in Spanish and English, including grammatical testing from the Bilingual English Spanish Oral Screener (Peña et al., 2008) and narrative evaluation Test of Narrative Language story prompts (Gillam & Pearson, 2004; Gillam et al., n.d.). Data from six comparison participants with typical language skills who completed pre- and posttesting demonstrate the stability of the measures. Results The intervention group made gains in English and Spanish as evidenced by significant increases in their cloze and sentence repetition accuracy on the Bilingual English Spanish Oral Screener Morphosyntax subtest. They increased productivity on their narratives in Spanish and English as indexed by mean length of utterance in words but did not make gains in their overall grammaticality. Conclusions Structured intervention that includes an emphasis on grammatical elements in the context of a broader intervention can lead to change in the production of morphosyntax evident in both elicited constructions and narrative productivity as measured by mean length of utterance in words. Additional work is needed to determine if and how cross-linguistic transfer might be achieved for these learners.

Relationship Between Performance on Oral Narrative Retells and Vocabulary Assessments for Spanish-English Speaking Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 402-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Wood ◽  
Mary Claire Wofford ◽  
Christopher Schatschneider
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Oral Narrative ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Predicting Performance ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Narrative Performance ◽  
Vocabulary Assessment

This project aimed to describe oral narrative retells of Spanish-English speaking dual language learners (DLLs) and examine relationships with standardized vocabulary assessments. Investigators described oral narrative retells of 145 DLLs in kindergarten and first grade by number of different words (NDW), words per minute (WPM), and macrostructural components. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine relationships between narrative retells and standardized vocabulary performance. Children in first grade showed significantly better narrative retells than kindergarten DLLs, characterized by greater NDW and WPM, and more macrostructural components. Regression results indicated NDW accounted for the majority of the unique variance in DLLs’ performance on standardized vocabulary assessments. Findings substantiate that narrative retells are educationally relevant tools in predicting performance on a standardized English vocabulary assessment. The study contributes to knowledge of narrative performance of typically developing DLLs and supports the utility of retells in assessment of DLLs.

A preliminary study of the relationship between working memory, language experience, and grammatical skill in dual language learners

2021 ◽  
pp. 136700692110349
Author(s):  
Kimberly C Jenkins ◽  
Raquel T Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between verbal short-term and working memory, language experience, and English tense-marking skill in Spanish L1-English L2 dual language learners (DLLs). Methodology: Ten Spanish-English DLLs, in kindergarten and first grade, participated in the study. Children completed the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment, a narrative retell task in English, and verbal memory tasks. Parents provided information regarding language input and output in the home and school environment. Data and analysis: Correlational analyses were conducted to examine relationships between English and Spanish input/output, forward and backward digit span, assessed in English and Spanish, and the accurate and productive use of English tense morphemes in various linguistic contexts. Conclusions: Study outcomes indicated varied use of English tense morphemes among DLLs. Additionally, a strong, positive association was found between the use of a variety of distinct tense forms and verbal working memory performance. Originality: This study is the first investigation to examine verbal short-term and working memory and home language experience to advance our understanding of the specific child internal and external factors that may account for the variability in tense marking during English second language acquisition. Significance: This research provides further insight to the effects of individual differences on the acquisition of second language grammatical skill during childhood.

Contributions of Oral Narrative Skills to English Reading in Spanish–English Latino/a Dual Language Learners

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Becky H. Huang ◽  
Lisa M. Bedore ◽  
Rica Ramírez ◽  
Nicole Wicha
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Oral Narrative ◽  
Early Elementary ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Narrative Skills ◽  
English Reading

Purpose: The study examined the contributions of Spanish and English oral narrative skills to English reading among 95 early elementary dual language learners (DLLs) from Spanish-speaking homes in the United States. This sample of first- and third-grade DLL children attended Spanish–English dual language immersion programs and received language and literacy instruction in both English and Spanish. Method: All participants completed a storytelling task in both languages and two English reading tests in decoding and reading comprehension. The story narratives were analyzed for microstructures (number of different new words, lexical diversity [D], mean length of utterance, subordination index [SI]) using the Computerized Language ANalysis program. The narrative samples were also evaluated for macrostructures (i.e., discourse-level features) using the Narrative Scoring Scheme. Results: Grade, English D, and Spanish SI significantly predicted English reading. Grade level was the strongest predictor of the three for both decoding and comprehension. However, Spanish SI was more robust than English D for decoding whereas English D was a stronger predictor than Spanish SI for comprehension. Conclusions: Young DLL children's oral narrative skills in English as well as in their home language Spanish contributed to their English reading outcomes. The study further specified the contributions of narrative elements to different reading skills. Microstructural elements appeared to play a stronger role in English reading than macrostructural elements for DLLs in dual language programs in early elementary grades. The results provided support for the simple view of reading and the linguistic interdependence hypothesis . The results also implicated that maintaining young DLL children's home language skills may be beneficial, rather than harmful, to their English reading development.

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

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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