Poster #47 - Mechanisms of Word Learning in English-Spanish Bilingual Toddlers

• In Event: Poster Session 08

Abstract

Disambiguation, or the act of mapping a novel word to an unfamiliar referent, is an essential strategy employed by young children during language acquisition. Although young children can use disambiguation as early as 17-months (Halberda, 2009), they do not show retention of these new words until 36-months (Bion et al., 2013). Previous work suggests that, in comparison to monolinguals, bilingual children do not rely on disambiguation as often, likely due to their need to apply two words to one concept (Byers-Heinlein & Werker, 2009). The present study investigates whether 18- to 36-month-old English-Spanish bilingual children use disambiguation to learn and retain novel words in both languages.

Method: A total of 40 English-Spanish bilingual children took part in an online 15-minute Zoom session. Participants were presented with trials showing a picture of a familiar object and another of an unfamiliar object along with carry-on sentences that named these items in English and Spanish (e.g., “look at the car”, “look at the dax”, “mira la pelota”). Two unfamiliar items were presented, one was named in English and another in Spanish. A total of 20 trials were presented: 8 of which the Familiar object was named (4 in English and 4 in Spanish) and 12 of which the Unfamiliar object was named (6 in English and 6 in Spanish). Next, children were presented with a Retention phase, in which both Unfamiliar items were presented and named. Retention of the new words was considered by longer looks to the Target object after it was named. Sessions were recorded for later coding. Looking times towards the Target object were coded during the first half and second half of each trial. Following the online session, parents completed an online survey regarding their child’s language and cognitive abilities including Executive Function (attention, inhibition).

Results: Preliminary results reveal that bilingual children looked longer to the Target after it was named during both Familiar and Unfamiliar trials. Children also used disambiguation for both languages; that is, they looked longer to the Unfamiliar Target after it was named. Children also showed retention of new Unfamiliar words in both languages (greater looking time to Target). These results suggest that bilingual children can use disambiguation and retain new words in both languages. Next, we carried out Pearson correlations with parent reports. These analyses revealed that better retention of English words was associated with parent reports of inhibitory control (r=-.56, p=.036), and better retention of Spanish words was associated with parent reports of attention focusing (r=.55, p=.044).

Conclusion: These results suggest that bilinguals use disambiguation to learn new words in both of their languages and Executive Function mechanisms (attention, inhibition) may be a set of cognitive mechanisms also supporting language acquisition. The present study provides insight into bilinguals’ capabilities of acquiring words in both languages. The current study is ongoing, as we plan to increase the sample size. Future work will explore how the bilingual brain supports encoding and retention of a new word.

Authors

• Maria Mercedes Arredondo, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Virginia Chen, The University of Texas at Austin

• Calista Hemarga, The University of Texas at Austin

• Leila Abel

• Paola Y. Celis, The University of Texas at Austin

• Daniella Varela, The University of Texas at Austin

• Alyssa Garlepp

• Ana C. Guevara, The University of Texas at Austin

• Alyssa S. Carrasco, The University of Texas at Austin

• Isabel S. Alamo, The University of Texas at Austin