Chapter 5. Social Factors in Bilingual Development: The Miami Experience

Eilers, Rebecca E.; Pearson, Barbara Zurer; Cobo-Lewis, Alan B.

doi:10.21832/9781853598715-006

Cited by 52 publications

(45 citation statements)

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“…Social interactions and experiences in language of care have been shown to influence language learning and literacy skills of children exposed to two languages (Eilers, Pearson, & Cobo-Lewis, 2006;Patterson, 2002;Patterson & Pearson, 2004;Pearson, 2007;Tabors & Snow, 2001;Verhoeven, 2006). The same was true for the bilingually reared children in our study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Language and preliteracy skills in bilinguals and monolinguals at preschool age: effects of exposure to richly inflected speech from birth

Silvén

Rubinov

2009

Read Writ

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Language proficiency before school entry has proven to be a powerful predictor of literacy development. This longitudinal study examined how simultaneous exposure to two richly inflected languages from birth contributes to the development of language-related literacy precursors at preschool age compared to peers exposed to one language. The community language turned out to be the stronger language of the bilinguals by 4 years of age and to a great extent ageappropriate compared to monolingual peers. The same initial exposure conditions resulted in three bilingual and two monolingual language proficiency profiles. For the bilinguals changes in the proportion of exposure to two home languages and frequency of language-specific social interactions explained proficiency in each language, whereas for the monolinguals exposure did not explain language proficiency. Our findings give support for the primary impact of exposure on the development of bilingualism and preliteracy skills.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Language and preliteracy skills in bilinguals and monolinguals at preschool age: effects of exposure to richly inflected speech from birth

Silvén

Rubinov

2009

Read Writ

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“…The majority of these children were born in the U.S. and have one or two foreign-born parents (Lesaux & Kieffer, 2010; Hernandez, Denton, & Macartney, 2007; Place & Hoff, 2011). Language use in these households can range from exclusive use of the heritage language to English dominance (Eilers, Pearson, & Cobo-Lewis, 2006; Lesaux & Kieffer, 2010; Oller & Eilers, 2002; Place & Hoff, 2011). …”

Section: Early Language and Academic Achievement In Children From Lanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpreting the early language trajectories of children from low-SES and language minority homes: Implications for closing achievement gaps.

Hoff

2013

Developmental Psychology

781

536

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On average, children from low SES homes and children from homes in which a language other than English is spoken have different language development trajectories than children from middle class, monolingual English-speaking homes. Children from low SES and language minority homes have unique linguistic strengths, but many reach school age with lower levels of English language skill than middle class, monolingual children. Because early differences in English oral language skill have consequences for academic achievement, low levels of English language skill constitute a deficit for children about to enter school in the U.S. Declaring all developmental trajectories to be equally valid would not change the robust relation between English oral language skills and academic achievement and would not help children with poor English skills to be successful in school. Remedies aimed at supporting the development of the English skills required for academic success need not and should not entail devaluing or diminishing children’s other language skills.

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“…Heritage language loss is a common phenomenon among second-generation immigrants, despite the desire among many immigrant parents for their children to acquire their language (Eilers, Pearson, & Cobo-Lewis, 2006; Wong Fillmore, 1991). Poor skills in their parents’ language have negative consequences for the children’s social adaptation and for family relationships (Oh & Fuligni, 2010; Tseng & Fuligni, 2000).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One prediction also suggested in the literature is that the bilingually developing children might achieve levels comparable to monolinguals in English but decline, in relative terms, in Spanish. In the U.S., Spanish is a minority language that is less prestigious than English (Eilers et al, 2006). The process of the majority culture language becoming dominant and skills in the minority language declining has been documented in several groups (Gathercole & Thomas, 2009; Jia & Aaronson, 2003; Kohnert, 2002).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Expressive vocabulary development in children from bilingual and monolingual homes: A longitudinal study from two to four years

Hoff

Rumiche

Burridge

et al. 2014

Early Childhood Research Quarterly

188

111

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The early course of language development among children from bilingual homes varies in ways that are not well described and as a result of influences that are not well understood. Here, we describe trajectories of relative change in expressive vocabulary from 22 to 48 months and vocabulary achievement at 48 months in two groups of children from bilingual homes (children with one and children with two native Spanish-speaking parents [ns = 15 and 11]) and in an SES-equivalent group of children from monolingual English homes (n = 31). The two groups from bilingual homes differed in their mean levels of English and Spanish skills, in their developmental trajectories during this period, and in the relation between language use at home and their vocabulary development. Children with two native Spanish-speaking parents showed steepest gains in total vocabulary and were more nearly balanced bilinguals at 48 months. Children with one native Spanish- and one native English-speaking parent showed trajectories of relative decline in Spanish vocabulary. At 48 months, mean levels of English skill among the bilingual children were comparable to monolingual norms, but children with two native Spanish-speaking parents had lower English scores than the SES-equivalent monolingual group. Use of English at home was a significant positive predictor of English vocabulary scores only among children with a native English-speaking parent. These findings argue that efforts to optimize school readiness among children from immigrant families should facilitate their access to native speakers of the community language, and efforts to support heritage language maintenance should include encouraging heritage language use by native speakers in the home.

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Chapter 5. Social Factors in Bilingual Development: The Miami Experience

Cited by 52 publications

References 0 publications

Language and preliteracy skills in bilinguals and monolinguals at preschool age: effects of exposure to richly inflected speech from birth

Language and preliteracy skills in bilinguals and monolinguals at preschool age: effects of exposure to richly inflected speech from birth

Interpreting the early language trajectories of children from low-SES and language minority homes: Implications for closing achievement gaps.

Expressive vocabulary development in children from bilingual and monolingual homes: A longitudinal study from two to four years

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