Benefits of being bilingual? The relationship between pupils’ perceptions of teachers’ appreciation of their home language and executive functioning

Abstract

Aims: We aimed to investigate whether bilingual pupil’s perceptions of teachers’ appreciation of their home language were of influence on bilingual cognitive advantages. Design: We examined whether Dutch bilingual primary school pupils who speak either German or Turkish at home differed in perceptions of their teacher’s appreciation of their HL, and whether these differences could explain differences between the two groups in executive functioning. Data and analysis: Executive functioning was measured through computer tasks, and perceived home language appreciation through orally administered questionnaires. The relationship between the two was assessed with regression analyses. Findings: German-Dutch pupils perceived there to be more appreciation of their home language from their teacher than Turkish-Dutch pupils. This difference did partly explain differences in executive functioning. Besides, we replicated bilingual advantages in nonverbal working memory and switching, but not in verbal working memory or inhibition. Originality and significance: This study demonstrates that bilingual advantages cannot be dissociated from the influence of the sociolinguistic context of the classroom. Thereby, it stresses the importance of culturally responsive teaching.

Starting Age Overshadowed: The Primacy of Differential Environmental and Family Support Effects on Second Language Attainment in an Instructional Context

“…Bilingualism has also been hypothesized to result in more efficient language learning, in terms of the attainment of both general language proficiency (Cenoz & Valencia, ; Swain, Lapkin, Rowen, & Hart, ) and of literacy skills (e.g., Kovelman, Baker, & Petitto, ). However, a whole body of evidence questioning the notion of a general bilingual advantage has emerged recently, relating to: the hybridity of experiences of bilinguals in these studies, which may be associated with a subject selection bias (De Angelis, ); the social dimensions of bilingualism, that is, the influence of and changes in lifestyle, L2 learning motivation, overall well‐being, general communicative skills, the status/prestige of the languages in question, teachers’ cultural responsiveness, and so forth (e.g., Agirdag, ; Goriot et al., ); a priori cognitive ability (Keijzer & Schmid, ); methodological inconsistencies, for example, the differential effects of bilingualism on verbal and nonverbal task performance (Duñabeitia & Carreiras, ; Paap, Johnson, & Sawi, ; Vaughn, Greene, Ramos Nuñez, & Hernandez, ); and an alleged publication bias favoring positive outcomes over null effects and possibly leading to a false representation of the true situation (see Bialystok, Kroll, Green, MacWhinney, & Craik, ; de Bot, ; de Bruin, Treccani, & Della Sala, ). …”

“…Also, in regard to home multilingual development, Duursma et al (2007) found a sibling effect: Language preference for interaction with siblings had an even larger effect on respective language proficiency than parental language preference. Family circumstances may also influence bilingualism at school: Goriot, Denessen, Bakker, and Droop (2016) found that the more positive children's perceptions of tolerance (i.e., teachers' appreciation of the home language) were (perhaps deriving from their positive family experience), the better they performed on nonverbal working memory tasks.…”

Supporting science learning in linguistically diverse classrooms: Factors related to the use of bilingual content in a computer-based learning environment

“…classrooms with only limited or no other home languages available, next to the LOI) may be less inclined to go to content in another language as they are not directly confronted with this linguistic diversity. Furthermore, an environment in which teachers give attention to the present linguistic diversity in a positive way and deploy it intentionally in their students' learning process may offer opportunities for students to use different languages (Goriot et al, 2015;Kenner et al, 2008). This may also make them more willing to access content made available in other languages in a CBLE.…”

“…Moreover, LMi students' home language is often considered as an obstacle for their learning process, especially when it is regarded as a less prestigious language (Agirdag, 2010;Goriot, Denessen, Bakker, & Droop, 2015;Shannon, 1995). As a consequence, the focus in most schools exclusively lies on learning in and through the LOI (Auerbach, 1993;Kenner, Gregory, Ruby, & Al-Azami, 2008;Riches & Genesee, 2006).…”

Making the most of an early start to L2 instruction

“…The beneficial effects of parental sensitivity connect well with the bilingualism literature. For instance, family circumstances in which bilingualism is valued provide children with the opportunities to use and switch between two languages, which in turn could enhance their executive functions (see Goriot et al, 2016).…”