Poster #45 - Word learning in Dual Language Learners: Language-specific or language-general skills?

• In Event: Poster Session 05

Abstract

A majority of the world’s citizens speak more than one language; monolingualism is the exception, not the rule. Despite this fact, the study of language development relies heavily on evidence from monolingual learners. Research on bilingual development has increased in the last decade, yet the complex interdependencies between word learning, vocabulary knowledge, and language environment in young Dual Language Learners (DLLs) are not well understood.

This study recruited 16 DLLs (11 females) between 24 and 36 months (M = 28.75 months; SD = 4.51) who were learning Spanish or Spanish and English at home. We tested children’s ability to fast-map novel labels in English and Spanish, asking whether children’s word learning skills were language-specific (i.e., related to input and vocabulary development within each language) or language-general (i.e., based on common underlying language acquisition processes).
According to parent report, children’s average percent Spanish exposure was 79.31% (SD = 14.16%; range = 54% - 100%) and English exposure 22.25% (SD = 13.06%; range = 0% - 46%). Parents completed MacArthur-Bates CDI vocabulary checklists for both languages. On average, children produced 163.07 (SD = 160.70; range = 5 - 564) Spanish words and 120.36 (SD = 134.11; range = 2 - 489) English words. Children completed a word learning task to learn 4 novel nonce words (2 in English and 2 in Spanish). In the learning phase, children were introduced to novel labels for a target object and a foil object. In the testing phase, children were asked to map the label to the target object (Figure 1).

Preliminary results indicated that young DLLs demonstrated high variability in fast-mapping (average proportion correct in Spanish = 0.59, SD = 0.33; average proportion correct in English = 0.66, SD = 0.27). Controlling for the effect of age, this research found the following correlation results. Children’s fast-mapping scores were not significantly correlated with parent-reported productive vocabulary in either language, although the correlation approached conventional significance in English (r = .527, p = .064). Vocabulary size did not equate with word learning potential in young DLLs. Moreover, compared with word learning in the home language (i.e., Spanish), children may be more dependent on emerging vocabulary skills while learning new words in the societal language (i.e., English) (Pace et al., 2021). Children’s fast-mapping scores were not significantly correlated with exposure in either language. However, productive vocabulary in Spanish was significantly correlated with that in English (r = .874; p < .001). Fast-mapping scores in English and Spanish languages also approached conventional significance (r = .529, p = .063). In this sample, DLLs demonstrated comparable productive vocabulary across-language, and possible comparable word learning performance across-language as well. Findings from this research may provide insights for parent coaching to support bilingual language development in young DLLs.

Authors

• Amy Pace, University of Washington

• Laura Xiaoqian Guo, University of Washington

• Lili Correa, University of Washington
  Presenting Author

• Sonia De Los Rios