Learning in Two Languages by Bilingual Children With and Without Language Impairment

项目总结/摘要 双语是世界上大部分地区的标准，即使在美国，单语是常见的， 至少有22%的5岁以上的人在家里说英语以外的语言。然而，我们仍然没有 知道如何最好地构建语言环境，以产生双语儿童的最佳语言效果。 在目前的建议中，我们旨在通过研究双语的影响来回答这个基本问题 输入对语言能力水平波动的西班牙语-英语双语儿童单词学习的影响。具体 目的一是考察双语输入对新词语学习的影响。在这些实验中，我们 对比单语言（仅英语）与双语（西班牙语和英语）的学习， 不同类型的双语输入和不同的单词类型。具体目标2是检查 双语输入对新单词的巩固。在这些实验中，我们将使用眼动追踪来测试 新学到的新单词与语言内部和跨语言的已知单词进入互动动态。 具体目标3是考察语言能力和新词汇学习之间的关系， 语言条件。我们将通过招募双语儿童来实现这一目标， - 从英语和西班牙语的典型技能到两种语言的弱技能（即，语言障碍）。这 策略将使我们能够把语言能力作为一个连续体，并检查它如何预测新单词的学习 和巩固目标1和2下提议的所有实验。我们假设双语 对于语言能力弱的儿童来说，输入可能特别具有挑战性，并期望这种关系 语言能力和单词学习结果之间的关系在不同类型的双语输入中会有所不同， 不同的单词类型。最终，我们将能够说明，语言能力弱的儿童是否更难 与学习者相比，双语输入的孩子语言能力较强，产出实用 给家长、临床医生和教育工作者的建议。总之，我们的研究结果将具有明确的实际意义， 后果和深远的理论分歧。目前，对抚养双语儿童的父母的建议 对于语言障碍患者来说，最佳语言接触是基于直觉，而不是基于 经验证据目前的建议是朝着建立一个以安全为基础的 关于有语言障碍和无语言障碍的双语儿童的最佳语言输入的指南。在 在理论层面上，语码转换的研究一直是双语领域的中心，我们知道， 关于双语者转换语言的过程。然而，我们对如何使用 不同的语言转换方式会影响孩子的学习能力。通过关注学习过程 该项目本身可以为语码转换研究提供重要的信息， 时间阐明如何双语言输入可能塑造词汇学习。

Project Summary/Abstract Bilingualism is the norm for much of the world, and even in the United States, where monolingualism is common, at least 22% of individuals over age 5 speak a language other than English at home. However, we still do not know how to best structure the language environment to yield optimal language outcomes in bilingual children. In the current proposal, we aim to answer this fundamental question by examining the effect of dual language input on word learning in Spanish-English bilingual children with fluctuating levels of language ability. Specific Aim 1 is to examine the effect of dual language input on novel word learning. In these experiments we will contrast learning from single-language (English only) vs. dual language exposure (Spanish and English) across different types of dual-language input and for different word types. Specific Aim 2 is to examine the effect of dual language input on novel word consolidation. In these experiments, we will use eye-tracking to test whether newly-learned novel words enter into interactive dynamics with known words within and across languages. Specific Aim 3 is to examine the relationship between language ability and novel word learning under dual- language conditions. We will do so by recruiting bilingual children who occupy the full range of language abilities - from typical skills in both English and Spanish to weak skills in both languages (i.e., language impairment). This strategy will enable us to treat language ability as a continuum and to examine how it predicts novel word learning and consolidation across all experiments proposed under Aims 1 and 2. We hypothesize that dual-language input may be particularly challenging for children with weak language skills, and expect that the relationship between language ability and word-learning outcomes will vary across different types of dual-language input and different word types. Ultimately, we will be able to state whether children with weak language skills struggle more with learning from dual-language input than children with strong language skills, yielding practical recommendations for parents, clinicians, and educators. Together, our findings will have clear-cut practical consequences and far-reaching theoretical ramifications. Currently, advice to parents raising bilingual children with language impairment regarding the optimal language exposure is based on intuition rather than on solid empirical evidence. The current proposal represents the first step towards establishing empirically-grounded guidelines regarding optimal language input for bilingual children with and without language impairment. At the theoretical level, the study of code-switching has been central to the field of bilingualism, and we know a great deal about the process by which bilinguals switch languages. However, we know very little about how the different ways of switching languages influence children’s ability to learn. By focusing on the learning process itself, the proposed project can contribute vital information to the code-switching literature, while at the same time shedding light on how dual language input may shape lexical learning.