Work

Language Use Contributes to Expressive Language Growth: Evidence From Bilingual Children

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: The unique relation of language use (i.e., output) to language growth was investigated for forty-seven 30-month-old Spanish-English bilingual children (27 girls, 20 boys) whose choices of which language to speak resulted in their levels of English output differing from their levels of English input. English expressive vocabularies and receptive language skills were assessed at 30, 36, and 42 months. Longitudinal multilevel modeling indicated an effect of output on expressive vocabulary growth only. The finding that output specifically benefits the development of expressive language skill has implications for understanding effects of language use on language skill in monolingual and bilingual development, and potentially, for understanding consequences of cultural differences in how much children are expected to talk in conversation with adults.

Source: Child Development

DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12770

Authors: Krystal M Ribot, Erika Hoff, Andrea Burridge

Institutions: Florida Atlantic University, University of Houston

Language: English

Topic: Language Development and Disorders

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Awards: Early Dual Language Development in Children from Spanish-Speaking Families, G1985845614, Patterns of Bilingual Development and their Environmental Correlates