Effects of divided input on bilingual children with language impairment

Abstract

Aims and objectives: We compare the performance of 600 bilingual children with and without language impairment relative to their level of current English input and output (EIO). Children were tested in both Spanish and English on measures of morphosyntax and semantics. Our aim was to examine whether children’s language performance was differentially affected by the level of EIO and/or language ability. Methodology: Participants were drawn from three different studies of bilingual language impairment where children between the ages of 5 and 10 years were tested using a standardized test of morphosyntax and semantics in both languages. Standard scores were compared for each language in each domain. Data and analysis: Multivariate regression was used to compare main effects of ability (children with typical language development versus children with language impairment) and interactions with EIO. This analysis was followed by a comparison of EIO across the four language measures. Findings/conclusions: There were main effects of language impairment status and EIO. There were ability differences in slope for two measures (English semantics and Spanish morphosyntax), where children with language impairment had a flatter slope as related to EIO compared to children with typical development. For Spanish semantics and English morphosyntax, slopes relative to EIO were similar, although children with language impairment scored lower than those with typical development. Originality: We observed how children with and without language impairment performed on semantics and morphosyntax tasks relative to their EIO. Implications: The similar slopes across language measures of children with and without language impairment suggest that there is no disadvantage to divided input by ability. Where there were differences by ability, children with language impairment showed a flatter slope relative to their typically developing peers, suggesting that bilingual children with primary language impairment (PLI) may be somewhat advantaged relative to more monolingual children with PLI.

L2 vocabulary acquisition of early sequentially bilingual children with TD and DLD affected differently by exposure and age of onset

“…For receptive vocabulary, we found significant interaction between group and exposure, suggesting that children with TD could make use of exposure faster, whereas children with DLD seemed to exhibit flatter crosssectional growth with cumulating exposure. This was consistent with what Peña et al (2018) found in semantics and morphosyntax in the children's L2 as well as Blom and Paradis (2015) with regard to accuracy in tense inflection. This significant interaction would suggest also that relatively more exposure would be needed for children with DLD in receptive vocabulary not to fall even further behind their TD peers over time.…”

Theory of Mind, Executive Functions, and Syntax in Bilingual Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…In addition, bilingualism does not appear to aggravate pre-existing language impairments. If a child has difficulty with learning one language, they will have difficulty learning another, but it will not be harder (Peña et al 2018). In their study, Peña and colleagues reveal that bilingual children with primary language impairment are even advantaged relative to monolingual children with language impairment on measures of morphosyntax and semantics.…”

Lessons from the study of input effects on bilingual development

“…They ask about the roles of input experienced in and out of the classroom on children’s foreign language acquisition (Huang, Chang, Zhi, & Niu, 2020; Kuo, Ku, Chen, & Gezer, 2020). They ask about the role of language use in the home on the bilingual development of first- and second-generation immigrant children (Peña, Bedore, Shavabasappa, & Niu, 2020; Sorenson Duncan & Paradis, 2020). They also ask about influences on input, including educational policy as it influences the age at which children begin foreign language instruction (Huang et al, 2020), the use—or lack thereof—of heritage languages in schools (Sorensen Duncan & Paradis, 2020; Peña et al, 2020), and the mothers’ educational history (Sorensen Duncan & Paradis, 2020).…”

“…They ask about the role of language use in the home on the bilingual development of first- and second-generation immigrant children (Peña, Bedore, Shavabasappa, & Niu, 2020; Sorenson Duncan & Paradis, 2020). They also ask about influences on input, including educational policy as it influences the age at which children begin foreign language instruction (Huang et al, 2020), the use—or lack thereof—of heritage languages in schools (Sorensen Duncan & Paradis, 2020; Peña et al, 2020), and the mothers’ educational history (Sorensen Duncan & Paradis, 2020). Finally, they ask about influences of characteristics of the child, specifically motivation and aptitude, that may moderate the relation between input and acquisition (Huang et al, 2020; Peña et al, 2020).…”