ERIC Number: EJ1043527
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Oct
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Primary Caregiver Vocabulary Knowledge in the Development of Bilingual Children's Vocabulary Skills
Buac, Milijana; Gross, Megan; Kaushanskaya, Margarita
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v57 n5 1804-1816 Oct 2014
Purpose: The present study examined the impact of environmental factors (socioeconomic status [SES], the percent of language exposure to English and to Spanish, and primary caregivers' vocabulary knowledge) on bilingual children's vocabulary skills. Method: Vocabulary skills were measured in 58 bilingual children between the ages of 5 and 7 who spoke Spanish as their native language and English as their second language. Data related to language environment in the home, specifically, the percent of language exposure to each language and SES, were obtained from primary caregiver interviews. Primary caregivers' vocabulary knowledge was measured directly using expressive and receptive vocabulary assessments in both languages. Results: Multiple regression analyses indicated that primary caregivers' vocabulary knowledge, the child's percent exposure to each language, and SES were robust predictors of children's English, but not Spanish, vocabulary skills. Conclusion: These findings indicate that in the early school ages, primary caregiver vocabulary skills have a stronger impact on bilingual children's second-language than native-language vocabulary.
Descriptors: Bilingualism, Vocabulary Development, Second Language Learning, Socioeconomic Status, Caregiver Child Relationship, English (Second Language), Spanish, Multiple Regression Analysis, Predictor Variables, Native Language, Language Acquisition
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Tel: 800-638-8255; Fax: 301-571-0457; e-mail: subscribe@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD); National Institutes of Health (DHHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: R03 DC010465; R01 DC011750; R03 DC0104565-01; T32 DC005359-10