Early Bilingual Vocabulary Development Among Low-SES Ethnic Minority Learners in China: The Case of Uyghur and Kazak Children

Abstract

Vocabulary knowledge is one of the most important aspects of language development. For bilingual students, early vocabulary development often predicts their future bilingual success. This paper examines early bilingual receptive vocabulary knowledge of ethnic minority children (N=135) from two large ethnic language communities (Uyghur and Kazak) in three national-level poverty-stricken counties in Xinjiang, China. The children’s bilingual vocabulary knowledge was assessed using translated versions of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IV (PPTV-IV) in Putonghua (PTH) and their mother tongue (MT) Uyghur or Kazak. Data were analyzed through four General Linear Models (GLM). The analyses showed that both groups scored higher in MT vocabulary knowledge than that in their PTH, although the Kazak students’ MT vocabulary scores were lower than those of the Uyghurs. While gender, age, L1, or residence location were not significant factors in differences across the two groups in PTH, among the Kazak children, the main effect of age was significant in MT; and among Uyghur children, residence location had a significant effect. The two groups also differed in patterns of acquisition in different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, and attributes) with Uyghur children performing strongest in MT and PTH verbs. The findings have important implications for ensuring the quality of early bilingual education among impoverished Chinese minority communities.