The role of linguistic context and language similarity in the relationship between language exposure and language proficiency in bilingual children
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Amount of exposure has consistently been shown to influence language development in bilingual children. To date, it has been treated as a variable that affects language development in the same way in different groups of bilingual children, but insights from several fields suggest that the similarity between languages and the context in which they are acquired may play a modulating role. This study therefore investigated the relationship between amount of exposure and language proficiency in different groups of bilingual children, varying in language similarity (Dutch–German vs. Dutch–French) and linguistic context (societal vs. heritage language). We found that language similarity affected the amount of exposure needed to reach a certain level of proficiency. Linguistic context had an effect too, although not for all languages tested. Overall, this study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how amount of exposure shapes language development in bilingual children.
Authors: Joyce Lysanne van Zwet, Eva Knopp, Rob Schoonen, Sharon Unsworth
Institution: Radboud University Nijmegen
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: Radboud Universiteit
OpenAlex ID: W7106809812