20 or Vingt? French Immersion Students' Language Choices When Counting Out Loud

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Expanding the Research Terrain for Multilingualism

Abstract

This study explored French Immersion (FI) students' language choice when counting out loud and how this is associated with their linguistic and mathematical abilities. Participants were 108 second-graders from FI programs. Children’s home language, scores on English and French receptive language and mathematical problem solving, and arithmetic fluency measures were analyzed. Neither home language, nor receptive language predicted counting out loud language. However, lower scores on French math problem solving predicted a greater likelihood of counting out loud in French. This suggests that children’s choice of counting language is related to their mathematical, rather than language abilities. This research has implications for FI teachers as they should consider children’s language choice when counting and its significance in second language contexts.

Authors

• Nathalie Rothschild, Concordia University

• Arielle Orsini, Concordia University - Montreal

• Helena P. Osana, Concordia University

• Sheri-Lynn Skwarchuk, University of Winnipeg

• Jo-Anne LeFevre, Carleton University

• Anne Lafay, Université Savoie Mont Blanc

• Erin of Maloney, University of Ottawa