A Comparison of Narrative Skill in Spanish-English Bilinguals and Their Functionally Monolingual Spanish- and English-Only Peers

• In Event: 69.056 - Roundtable Session 31
  In Roundtable Session: 69.056-15 - Language Practices of Bilingual Students

Abstract

The narrative skills of young (M = 5.65 years) Spanish-English bilinguals were compared to functionally-monolingual Spanish and English-only speakers’ (n=63). Oral retellings, elicited at the beginning and end of the kindergarten year, were transcribed and coded for linguistic features. Results showed that, in comparison to English monolinguals, bilinguals included more errors in English narratives. Few differences emerged between bilinguals’ and functionally-monolingual Spanish-speakers’ Spanish narratives, except that bilinguals included more lexical and grammatical revisions, despite comparable error rates. These findings of relative differences between bilinguals and Spanish monolinguals, versus English monolinguals, highlight cognitive advantages to bilingualism and reinforce the need to provide support in educational settings to promote bilingual learning.

Authors

• Perla Blanca Gamez, Loyola University Chicago

• Dahlia Gonzalez, Loyola University Chicago