Dual Language Development Among Spanish-speaking Children Learning English

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管有大量的母语不是英语的幼儿，但对他们的英语学习过程的系统研究有限。贫困只会增加在美国儿童人口中不断增长的双语发展的挑战。缺乏关于规范的双语学习过程的信息，为早期评估和干预提出了挑战，并对这些儿童的健康和福祉产生了重要影响。鉴于拉丁裔儿童构成了美国最大的英语学习者群体（ELL），并且在教育程度上落后于非洲裔美国人和白人，了解他们在学龄前学习英语和西班牙语具有重要的公共卫生影响。这项拟议的研究评估了主要来自西班牙语家庭的低收入墨西哥裔儿童的双语发展情况。我们的目标是绘制来自西班牙语家庭的低收入儿童在学前课堂上接触英语时西班牙语和英语的轨迹，并了解影响这种学习的课堂变量（例如，课堂语言支持和语言接触，以及教师的信念）。总共将招募45名3岁的儿童、他们的家庭和他们的老师，并对他们进行为期一年的观察。他们的语言将被记录4次，大约间隔3到4个月。我们将观察每个孩子的学前课堂，评估老师的谈话、语言和识字支持，并采访老师，了解他/她的语言技能和对语言发展的看法。我们的发现将有助于更好地理解双语发展的过程及其影响因素。它们将有助于更好地筛选和识别英语学习者的语言和其他学习延迟，从而增强这些有风险儿童的健康。研究结果还将帮助我们理解为什么有些孩子在学习英语作为第二语言方面更成功，并将用于教师培训、家长教育和课程开发。这项研究还将为第一语言和第二语言相互影响提供证据，并解决英语作为第二语言的学习者对母语丧失的担忧。最后，本研究将促进少数民族学生从事研究工作的招聘和培训。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Despite the large numbers of young children whose home language is not English, there is limited systematic research on the course of their English language learning. Poverty only increases the challenges of dual language development in this growing segment of the U.S child population. Lack of information about the normative course of dual language learning raises challenges for early assessment and intervention and has important implications for the health and well-being of these children. Given that Latino children make-up the largest group of English language learners (ELL) in the United States and lag behind both African- Americans and Whites in their educational attainment, understanding their learning of English and Spanish during the preschool period has important public health consequences. The proposed study assesses dual language development in low-income Mexican-origin children who come from predominantly Spanish speaking households. Our objectives are to chart the trajectory of Spanish and English among young low-income children from Spanish-speaking homes when they are exposed to English in the pre-school classroom and to understand classroom variables (e.g., classroom language support and language exposure, and teachers' beliefs) that influence such learning. A total of 45 3-year-old children, their families, and their teachers will be recruited and observed for a year. Their language will be recorded 4 times approximately 3 to 4-months apart. We will observe each child's pre-school classroom to assess teacher talk, language, and literacy support and interview the teacher regarding his/her language skills and beliefs about language development. Our findings will lead to a better understanding of the course of dual language development and the factors that influence it. They will lead to better screening and identification of speech and other learning delays among English language learners, thereby enhancing the health of these at-risk children. The results will also help us understand why some children are more successful in learning English as a second language and will be used for teacher training, parent education, and curriculum development. The study will also provide evidence for the influence of the first and second language on each other and address concerns about the loss of the home language among learners of English as a second language. Finally the study will promote the recruitment and training of minority students for research careers.