scholarly journals Variations in the Home Language Environment and Early Language Development in Rural China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2671
Author(s):  
Yue Ma ◽  
Laura Jonsson ◽  
Tianli Feng ◽  
Tyler Weisberg ◽  
Teresa Shao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Child Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Early Language Development ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Conversational Turns ◽  
Home Language Environment

The home language environment is critical to early language development and subsequent skills. However, few studies have quantitatively measured the home language environment in low-income, developing settings. This study explores variations in the home language environment and child language skills among households in poor rural villages in northwestern China. Audio recordings were collected for 38 children aged 20–28 months and analyzed using Language Environment Analysis (LENA) software; language skills were measured using the MacArthur–Bates Mandarin Communicative Developmental Inventories expressive vocabulary scale. The results revealed large variability in both child language skills and home language environment measures (adult words, conversational turns, and child vocalizations) with 5- to 6-fold differences between the highest and lowest scores. Despite variation, however, the average number of adult words and conversational turns were lower than found among urban Chinese children. Correlation analyses did not identify significant correlations between demographic characteristics and the home language environment. However, the results do indicate significant correlations between the home language environment and child language skills, with conversational turns showing the strongest correlation. The results point to a need for further research on language engagement and ways to increase parent–child interactions to improve early language development among young children in rural China.

scholarly journals Early Development of Neural Speech Encoding Depends on Age but not Native Language Status: Evidence from Lexical Tone

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-59
Author(s):  
Nikolay Novitskiy ◽  
Akshay R Maggu ◽  
Ching Man Lai ◽  
Peggy H Y Chan ◽  
Kay H Y Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Auditory Pathway ◽  
Lexical Tone ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Speech Encoding ◽  
Early Language Development ◽  
Long Latency ◽  
Language Environment

Abstract We investigated the development of early-latency and long-latency brain responses to native and non-native speech to shed light on the neurophysiological underpinnings of perceptual narrowing and early language development. Specifically, we postulated a two-level process to explain the decrease in sensitivity to non-native phonemes towards the end of infancy. Neurons at the earlier stages of the ascending auditory pathway mature rapidly during infancy facilitating the encoding of both native and non-native sounds. This growth enables neurons at the later stages of the auditory pathway to assign phonological status to speech according to the infant’s native language environment. To test this hypothesis, we collected early- latency and long-latency neural responses to native and non-native lexical tones from 85 Cantoneselearning children aged between 23 days and 24 months and 16 days. As expected, a broad range of presumably subcortical early-latency neural encoding measures grew rapidly and substantially during the first two years for both native and non-native tones. By contrast, longlatency cortical electrophysiological changes occurred on a much slower scale and showed sensitivity to nativeness at around six months. Our study provided a comprehensive understanding of early language development by revealing the complementary roles of earlier and later stages of speech processing in the developing brain.

scholarly journals A Pilot Quantitative Evaluation of Early Life Language Development in Fragile X Syndrome

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Reisinger ◽  
Rebecca Shaffer ◽  
Ernest Pedapati ◽  
Kelli Dominick ◽  
Craig Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Fragile X Syndrome ◽  
Fragile X ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Infants And Toddlers ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Early Language Development ◽  
Automated Vocal Analysis ◽  
Analysis System

Language delay and communication deficits are a core characteristic of the fragile X syndrome (FXS) phenotype. To date, the literature examining early language development in FXS is limited potentially due to barriers in language assessment in very young children. The present study is one of the first to examine early language development through vocal production and the language learning environment in infants and toddlers with FXS utilizing an automated vocal analysis system. Child vocalizations, conversational turns, and adult word counts in the home environment were collected and analyzed in a group of nine infants and toddlers with FXS and compared to a typically developing (TD) normative sample. Results suggest infants and toddlers with FXS are exhibiting deficits in their early language skills when compared to their chronological expectations. Despite this, when accounting for overall developmental level, their early language skills appear to be on track. Additionally, FXS caregivers utilize less vocalizations around infants and toddlers with FXS; however, additional research is needed to understand the true gap between FXS caregivers and TD caregivers. These findings provide preliminary information about the early language learning environment and support for the feasibility of utilizing an automated vocal analysis system within the FXS population that could ease data collection and further our understanding of the emergence of language development.

Parent education to improve early language development: A preliminary evaluation of LENA StartTM

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Marianne ELMQUIST ◽  
Lizbeth H. FINESTACK ◽  
Amanda KRIESE ◽  
Erin M. LEASE ◽  
Scott R. MCCONNELL
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Parent Education ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Early Language Development ◽  
Parent Training Program ◽  
Conversational Turns ◽  
Parent Child

Abstract Parents play an important role in creating home language environments that promote language development. A nonequivalent group design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based implementation of LENA Start™, a parent-training program aimed at increasing the quantity of adult words (AWC) and conversational turns (CT). Parent-child dyads participated in LENA Start™ (n = 39) or a generic parent education program (n = 17). Overall, attendance and engagement in the LENA StartTM program were high: 72% of participants met criteria to graduate from the program. Within-subject gains were positive for LENA Start™ families. Comparison families declined on these measures. However, both effects were non-significant. Between-group analyses revealed small to medium-sized effects favoring LENA Start™ and these were significant for child vocalizations (CV) and CT but not AWC. These results provide preliminary evidence that programs like LENA StartTM can be embedded in community-based settings to promote quality parent-child language interactions.

scholarly journals The Natural Language Environment of 9-Month-Old Infants in Sweden and Concurrent Association With Early Language Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Nyberg ◽  
Mary Rudner ◽  
Ulrika Birberg Thornberg ◽  
Felix-Sebastian Koch ◽  
Rachel Barr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Natural Language ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Early Language Development ◽  
Language Environment

scholarly journals Early Language Development and Child Aggression

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ceyhun Ersan
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Relational Aggression ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Aggressive Behaviors ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Early Language Development

Aggression observed in early childhood is considered to be an important problem. Multiple factors may play a decisive role in children’s aggressive behaviors. The aim of this study was to examine whether the receptive and expressive language skills of preschool children (39-75 months-old) had predictive role on the levels of physical and relational aggression. The sample of the present study consists of 109 preschool children (47 girls and 62 boys). The language development levels of children in the sample were evaluated by TEDIL (Turkish Early Language Development Test) and their aggression levels were evaluated via Preschool Social Behavior Scale which were filled by their teachers. Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis were used to analyze the data. According to the findings of the study, there was a significant and negative relationship between children’s receptive and expressive language skills and physical and relational aggression levels. The results of regression analysis revealed that physical aggression was negatively and significantly predicted by expressive language skills. In addition, relational aggression is negatively and significantly predicted by both receptive and expressive language skills. The increase in children's language skills significantly explains the decrease in physical and relational aggressive behaviors. The relationship between language skills and aggressive behaviors of Turkish preschool children was examined for the first time in this study. It is thought that the present study will contribute to the literature since it reveals the current situation in terms of the relationships between children's language skills and aggression levels and provide opportunities to make comparisons with the results of international studies.

Overheard: Know Your Morphemes

ASHA Leader ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 16-17
Author(s):  
Julie Wolter
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Literacy Development ◽  
Morphological Awareness ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Early Language Development

Julie Wolter, an expert in early language development, recently led an online chat about the contribution of morphological awareness to semantic understanding and literacy development. Here's what the Leader overheard ...

Speaking of State of Mind: Maternal Mental Health Predicts Children's Home Language Environment and Expressive Language

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Brandon Neil CLIFFORD ◽  
Laura A. STOCKDALE ◽  
Sarah M. COYNE ◽  
Vanessa RAINEY ◽  
Viridiana L. BENITEZ
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Maternal Depression ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Children's Home ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Home Language Environment

Abstract Maternal depression and anxiety are potential risk factors to children's language environments and development. Though existing work has examined relations between these constructs, further work is needed accounting for both depression and anxiety and using more direct measures of the home language environment and children's language development. We examined 265 mother-infant dyads (49.6% female, Mage = 17.03 months) from a large city in the Western United States to explore the relations between self-reports of maternal depression and anxiety and observational indices of the home language environment and expressive language as captured by Language Environment Analysis (LENA) and parent-reported language comprehension and production. Results revealed maternal depressive symptoms to be negatively associated with home language environment and expressive language indices. Maternal anxiety symptoms were found to be negatively associated with children's parent-reported language production. These findings provide further evidence that maternal mental health modulates children's home language environments and expressive language.

Gestural Communication in Deaf Children: The Effects and Noneffects of Parental Input on Early Language Development

1984 ◽  
Vol 49 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Goldin-Meadow ◽  
Carolyn Mylander ◽  
Jill de Villiers ◽  
Elizabeth Bates ◽  
Virginia Volterra
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Gestural Communication ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Early Language Development ◽  
Parental Input
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