scholarly journals The bilingual home language boost through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Sheng ◽  
Danyang Wang ◽  
Caila Walsh ◽  
Leah Heisler ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
Comprehension Task ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
Language Environment

Usage-based accounts of language acquisition suggest that bilingual language proficiency is dynamic and susceptible to changes in language use. The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented modifications in the language learning environment of developing bilinguals. Drawing on this unique opportunity, we analyzed existing data of two matched groups of Mandarin-English bilingual children (ages 4 to 8 years, n=40), one tested before (pre-COVID group) and the other after (COVID group) the pandemic. The dataset comprises responses to a language environment questionnaire, and scores on a sentence comprehension task and a sentence recall task in the bilinguals’ two languages. Questionnaire data revealed that children in the COVID group read more in English but spoke less English with their mothers and friends compared to peers in the pre-COVID group. On the comprehension task, the two groups performed comparably in English but the COVID group showed better performance in Mandarin than the pre-COVID group. On the production task, the pre-COVID group showed better English performance than the COVID group, whereas the COVID group showed better Mandarin performance than the pre-COVID group. Within the pre-COVID group, English was stronger than Mandarin in both comprehension and production. Within the COVID group, the two languages were balanced in comprehension and Mandarin was stronger than English in production. Moreover, language use variables were correlated with production performance in both languages. These patterns illustrate the intimate relationships between language use and bilingual language proficiency through the lens of COVID-19 induced language environment modification.

scholarly journals The Bilingual Home Language Boost Through the Lens of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Sheng ◽  
Danyang Wang ◽  
Caila Walsh ◽  
Leah Heisler ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
Mandarin Language ◽  
Language Environment

Usage-based accounts of language acquisition suggest that bilingual language proficiency is dynamic and susceptible to changes in language use. The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented modifications in the language learning environment of developing bilinguals. Drawing on this unique opportunity, we analyzed existing data of two matched groups of Mandarin-English bilingual children (ages 4 to 8 years, n = 38), one tested before (pre-COVID group) and the other during (COVID group) the pandemic. The dataset comprises responses to a language environment questionnaire, and scores on a sentence comprehension task and a sentence recall task in the bilinguals’ two languages. Questionnaire data revealed a richer Mandarin language environment for children in the COVID group compared to peers in the pre-COVID group. On both comprehension and production tasks, the two groups performed comparably in English but the COVID group showed better performance in Mandarin than the pre-COVID group. Within the pre-COVID group, English was stronger than Mandarin in both comprehension and production. Within the COVID group, the two languages were balanced in comprehension and Mandarin was stronger than English in production. Moreover, language use variables were correlated with production performance in both languages. These patterns illustrate the intimate relationships between language use and bilingual language proficiency through the lens of COVID-19 induced language environment modification.

scholarly journals The home language environment of monolingual and bilingual children and their language proficiency

2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNA F. SCHEELE ◽  
PAUL P. M. LESEMAN ◽  
AZIZA Y. MAYO
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Dutch Children

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the relationships between home language learning activities and vocabulary in a sample of monolingual native Dutch (n= 58) and bilingual immigrant Moroccan–Dutch (n= 46) and Turkish–Dutch (n= 55) 3-year-olds, speaking Tarifit-Berber, a nonscripted language, and Turkish as their first language (L1), respectively. Despite equal domain general cognitive abilities, Dutch children scored higher than the bilingual children on a L1 vocabulary test, and Moroccan–Dutch children had higher second language (L2) vocabulary skills compared to Turkish–Dutch children. Multigroup analyses revealed strong impact on both L1 and L2 skills of language specific input in literate and oral activities. Finally, indications were found of positive cross-language transfer from L1 to L2 as well as competition between L1 and L2 input.

Het Ongelijk van Netelenbos?

2005 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
pp. 123-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludo Verhoeven ◽  
Anne Vermeer
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Language Use ◽  
School Success ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Language Test ◽  
Minority Children ◽  
Dutch Language ◽  
Ethnic Minority Children

Within the context of school success of ethnic minority children in the Netherlands, it is currently debated what criteria should be applied by the Ministery of Education in assigning extra funds to children at risk. To this date, two criteria are used: level of parental education and parents' country of origin. As both criteria do no longer fully comply with the needs, it is proposed to test the children entering Kindergarten, with respect to their language proficiency in Dutch and/or their intelligence. This article reports the results of a longitudinal study on the language and school development of monolingual Dutch and bilingual ethnic minority children who were followed from entering Kindergarten at the age of 4, to the end of grade 6 in primaty school at the age of 12. During the first four years, Dutch language tasks ( ) were annually administered. Besides, children took an intelligence test (RAKIT) at the age of five. In grade 6, at the age of 12, a test battery of Dutch language proficiency, writing, reading, mathematics, science and information processing tasks were administered (Cito Eindtoets) to operationalise 'school success'. Finally, several background data were gathered, such as level of parental education and home language use. The results of regression analyses tentatively show that a language test administered in Kindergarten is the best predictor of school success (Multiple R= .432), that the intelligence test adjusts 4% to that, and that both home language use and parental education add another 2%. For the ethnic minority children alone, the Dutch language test (R2=.275) and home language use (adding 5%) are the only two predicting factors. However, if we look into the data as if we were teachers and had to decide whether or not to assign extra funds to a specific child on the basis of his/her test scores in Kindergarten, 29% of those assignments had been wrong: 14% wrongly not assigned ('false negatives'), and 15% wrongly assigned ('false positives'). For only 11% of the children the assignment of funds would have been predicted correctly. From this perspective, testing children in Kindergarten is not the most appropriate way to assign extra funds to children at risk.

Becoming Bilingual During Early Childhood

1983 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene E. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Syntactic Features ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Use Pattern ◽  
Bilingual Proficiency

Spanish/English bilingual and monolingual English children, ages 36-50 months, were recorded during interactions with their mothers. An analysis of the recorded language was performed utilizing selected morphological and syntactic features. An analysis of home language use was also performed for bilingual children. Results indicate: (1) a definite bilingual proficiency character with "weighted" proficiency in English; (2) no significant difference on English measures between bilingual and monolingual children; (3) a differential language use pattern for Spanish and English by bilingual children in the home. These results provide new insights into the bilingual acquisition phenomenon in early childhood.

Decontextualized language production in two languages: An investigation of children's word definition skills in Korean and English

2011 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIFER YUSUN KANG
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Production ◽  
First Language ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
Korean And English ◽  
Schooling Experience ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Word Definition

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to identify factors that contribute to bilingual children's decontextualized language production and investigate how schooling experience and bilingualism affect the development of this skill. The word definition skills of seventy Korean–English bilingual children whose first language was Korean, yet who had been schooled in English, were analyzed. The findings indicate that contrary to the results from previous studies, the participants' decontextualized language production was much better in their home language than in their school language, when considering both the formal linguistic structure and the communicative adequacy of their word definitions. In addition, limited cross-language transfer across tasks was present and cross-language contribution was observed only in the children's ability to achieve communicative adequacy, but not in their ability to construct conventional definition syntax. The results are discussed in terms of the linguistic and typological distance between the two languages and the potential effects of language-learning contexts.

scholarly journals Language abilities of children with refugee backgrounds: Insights from case studies (PostPrint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea A.N. MacLeod ◽  
Rabia Sabah Meziane ◽  
Diane Pesco
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Refugee Children ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Teacher Reports ◽  
Stimulation Group

ince 2015, more than 58,000 Syrian refugees have settled in Canada and, at the time of the 2016 national census, more than a fifth had settled in the province of Quebec. The rising numbers of refugees and the risks associated with families’ forced displacement have underscored the need to better understand and support the language of refugee children. The article reports on the oral language of three Syrian children ages five and six years, drawing on data from parent interviews, teacher reports, measures of the children’s language, and observations of their language use in a dual-language stimulation group, StimuLER. By triangulating this data, we were able to develop a rich and realistic portrait of each child’s language abilities. For these three boys, we observed that the home language was vulnerable to delays and weaknesses, and that learning the language of school was a drawn-out process. We also documented that parents and teachers had difficulties communicating with one another, and thus had difficulty meeting the educational needs of these children. We conclude that to foster resiliency in these children who are refugees, schools must find a way to build bridges with the parents to support the children’s language learning in both the language of school and at home.

scholarly journals Using multimodal presentation software and peer group discussion in learning English as a second language

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-jung Wang
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Dynamic Effects ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Multimodal Texts ◽  
Presentation Software

<span>This paper reports an application of multimedia in a blended learning environment in which students engaged in multimodal presentations and peer group discussion. Students' presentation files were commented upon by their peers on the discussion board and scored by the researcher, based on questions developed by Levy and Kimber (2009) to apply criteria of design, content and cohesion in analysis of multimodal texts. After the discussion phase, students revised their files and answered a questionnaire about their perception of the value of this practice for language learning. Regarding the production of presentation files, most aspects of the title slide and overall slide designs were performed well, except for a lack of dynamic effects and inadequate consideration of the visual perception of the audience. Peer group discussion and the scoring can assist the students in inspiring their creativity and modification of the designs of their presentations. In contrast, other aspects such as language use were not improved, probably due to the limited language proficiency of the students or their unawareness of the need for further improvement. The questionnaire results indicate that students appreciated peer group discussions and understood that they might need increased skills to use the presentation software in a more sophisticated way.</span>

scholarly journals The impact of older siblings on the language environment and language development of bilingual toddlers

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Danai Tsinivits ◽  
Sharon Unsworth
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Family Constellation ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Bilingual Parenting ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Older Siblings ◽  
Older Sibling

Abstract Previous research has suggested that the language development of bilingual children benefits from more exposure and opportunities for language use. Typically, this research has used aggregated measures of exposure and use. The role of specific interlocutors and in particular older siblings has received comparatively little attention. In this study, we examine the impact of having an older sibling on the language environment and language development of a group of 31 bilingual Greek–Dutch toddlers aged 16 to 30 months growing up in the Netherlands. Approximately half (n = 14) of the toddlers had an older sibling. With respect to language environment, toddlers with older siblings were in general found to hear and use more Dutch at home than their first-born peers. There were however no differences between the two groups of toddlers in terms of parental language use. With respect to language development, toddlers with older siblings were found to score higher than first-born peers on measures of Dutch receptive vocabulary, productive vocabulary, and morphosyntactic complexity. For Greek, no such differences were observed. The findings are discussed in light of factors including family constellation, parental language proficiency, bilingual parenting strategies, and the wider sociolinguistic context.

scholarly journals WhatsApp and Learn English: a Study of the Effectiveness of WhatsApp in Developing Reading and Writing Skills in English

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabri Saleh Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Natural Interaction ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Mobile Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Post Test

This study has examined the effectiveness of using WhatsApp, as one of mobile-assisted language learning applications, in enhancing learners’ reading and writing skills in English. Twenty EFL undergraduate students of Aden University participated in a WhatsApp English medium group with the researcher where they and the researcher chat, share news articles and comment on news articles for two months. During this period, the researcher was observing their progress and then, they were given a questionnaire to report their experience about the effectiveness of WhatsApp in developing their reading and writing skills. Findings from students’ pre-test and post-test, researcher’s observations of students’ progress and students’ responses to the questionnaire revealed that WhatsApp was very effective in developing their reading and writing skills. It helped them a lot in developing their vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and writing skills. The study concluded that WhatsApp English medium groups provide space for practising natural language, especially in written communication, keep students learn and practice English outside the classroom and motivate them to learn from each other. As per the findings, the study has recommended EFL teachers to use WhatsApp in their teaching of English and to motivate their students to create and join WhatsApp English medium groups as that will help them in developing students’ language proficiency through natural interaction and contextualized language use that can’t be provided by the classroom.

scholarly journals Measuring prosodic predictability in children’s home language environments

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Earl MacDonald ◽  
Okko Räsänen ◽  
Marisa Casillas ◽  
Anne S. Warlaumont
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Experimental Work ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Home Language ◽  
World Language ◽  
Lexical Development ◽  
Children's Home ◽  
Language Environment

Children learn language from the speech in their home environment. Recent work shows that more infant-directed speech (IDS) leads to stronger lexical development. But what makes IDS a particularly useful learning signal? Here, we expand on an attention-based account first proposed by Ra ̈sa ̈nen et al. (2018): that prosodic modifications make IDS less predictable, and thus more interesting. First, we reproduce the critical finding from Ra ̈sa ̈nen et al.: that lab-recorded IDS pitch is less predictable compared to adult-directed speech (ADS). Next, we show that this result generalizes to the home language environment, finding that IDS in daylong recordings is also less predictable than ADS but that this pattern is much less robust than for IDS recorded in the lab. These results link experimental work on attention and prosodic modifications of IDS to real-world language-learning environments, highlighting some challenges of scaling up analyses of IDS to larger datasets that better capture children’s actual input.

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