The effect of input on bilingual adolescents’ long-term language outcomes in a foreign language instruction context

Abstract

The aim of the current study is twofold: to examine the effects of input on bilingual adolescents’ long-term second language (L2) outcomes in a minority/foreign language context; and to understand the interaction between input and other potential predictors of L2 outcomes, specifically environmental variables, learners’ motivation and language learning aptitude. Participants included 97 Mandarin–English bilingual adolescents in Taiwan who learned English as an L2 between the ages of two to eleven. All participants completed a listening comprehension and a story-telling task in English and two standardized language learning aptitude tests. Participants and their parents filled out a detailed questionnaire providing information about family demographics and in-class and out-of-class L2 input. Correlation and multivariate regression analyses revealed that input played an important role in long-term L2 listening comprehension outcome, but not in speech production outcomes. The results also showed that environmental variables and language learning aptitude significantly predicted long-term L2 listening comprehension and speech production outcomes. Finally, out-of-class L2 input outweighed instructional input and current input outweighed early input. Since most previous research on the role of input in long-term L2 outcomes was conducted in a majority/societal language context, the present study contributes to the topic by specifying the effect of input in L2 acquisition in a minority/foreign language context.

SLA and the Study of Equitable Multilingualism

“…Finally, for children who learn in foreign language settings under drip-feed conditions (e.g., 1 to 3 hours weekly), it has been found that an earlier start will not confer any advantage (Jaekel et al, 2017;Muñoz, 2006;Pfenninger & Singleton, 2016). Other factors predict L2 outcomes in these contexts, and a strong one is extramural engagement with the L2 (Huang et al, 2018;Muñoz, 2014;Pfenninger & Singleton, 2018). In sum, the new research shows that, across diverse contexts and timings, the best predictor of bilingual outcomes is experience with each language.…”

Lessons from the study of input effects on bilingual development

“…The papers in this special issue also ask more specific questions. 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 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).…”

The Contribution of Bilingualism, Parental Education, and School Characteristics to Performance on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals: Fourth Edition, Swedish

“…In addition, speaking the majority language with friends was positively associated with academic achievements (Agirdag and Vanlaar, 2018). Similarly, Huang et al (2018) found that using the second language in the spare time was more influential on language comprehension than using the language in the classroom. Thus, bilingual children who receive high-quality input in their mother tongue and who can use their school language for everyday conversation with friends are likely to perform at the same level as monolingual peers.…”