Individual differences in the production of referential expressions: The effect of language proficiency, language exposure and executive function in bilingual and monolingual children

Abstract

One hundred and seventy-two English-speaking 5- to 7-year-olds participated in a referential communication task where we manipulated the linguistic mention and the visual presence of a competitor alongside a target referent. Eighty-seven of the children were additionally exposed to a language other than English (bilinguals). We measured children's language proficiency, verbal working memory (WM), cognitive control skills, family SES, and relative amount of cumulative exposure and use of the home language for the bilinguals. Children's use of full Noun Phrases (NPs) to identify a target referent was predicted by the visual presence of a competitor more than by its linguistic mention. Verbal WM and proficiency predicted NP use, while cognitive control skills predicted both the ability to use expressions signalling discourse integration and sensitivity to the presence of a discourse competitor, but not of a visual competitor. Bilingual children were as informative as monolingual children once proficiency was controlled for.

Socioeconomic status as a proxy for input quality in bilingual children?

“…This study is based on the secondary analysis of data which were collected as part of an investigation of the relationship between executive function skills (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory) and language experience in young bilingual children with unbalanced exposure to two languages, probing these children's ability to make referential choices appropriate to their listener's information needs (see Serratrice & De Cat, 2020). In this section, I describe the population sample and the measures from the original study that are relevant for the present purpose.…”

Sometimes larger, sometimes smaller: Measuring vocabulary in monolingual and bilingual infants and toddlers

“…The measurement of bilingual children's vocabulary relative to monolinguals has both theoretical and practical applications. On the theoretical side, the use of monolingual vocabulary trajectories as a reference point to better understand bilingual vocabulary development is an approach with a long history, which has shed light on key similarities and differences between these groups (e.g., Byers-Heinlein et al, 2013;Cattani et al, 2014;De Houwer, Bornstein, & Putnick, 2014;Hoff & Ribot, 2017;Hoff, Rumiche, Burridge, Ribot, & Welsh, 2014;Kupersmitt & Armon-Lotem, 2019;Pearson, Fernandez, & Oller, 1993;Serratrice & De Cat, 2020).…”

“…Gathering additional bilingual norms, although perhaps ideal, is time-intensive: a more immediate solution is to determine how to best use available monolingual norms with bilingual children. This approach has strong precedence, given the long history in the field of using monolingual data as a reference point to better understand bilingual language and cognitive development (e.g., Byers-Heinlein et al, 2013;Cattani et al, 2014;De Houwer et al, 2014;Hoff et al, 2012;Hoff et al, 2014;Hoff & Ribot, 2017;Janssen & Meir, 2019;Kupersmitt & Armon-Lotem, 2019; O'toole; Paradis, Nicoladis, Crago, & Genesee, 2011;Pearson et al, 1993;Serratrice & De Cat, 2020;Singh, Fu, Tay, & Golinkoff, 2018;Thordardottir, 2011;Yan & Nicoladis, 2007). Moreover, there is empirical and theoretical support for this approach: So far, the literature is mixed with respect to how best monolingual norms can be used as a reference point for bilingual children, while taking into consideration bilinguals' unique vocabulary features such as the presence of translation equivalents.…”

Phonological memory problems are magnified in children from language minority homes when predicting reading disability

“…To reflect the heterogeneity of children's language exposure in the home, children are described as LM or ED rather than as bilingual or monolingual (Serratrice & De Cat, 2019). Current education and research practices classify children as LM or ED on the basis of parent report of the language(s) spoken at home (Brice & Brice 2009;Carroll & Bailey, 2015;Jasińska & Petitto, 2018).…”