The impact of bilingual preschool education on the language development of Spanish-speaking children

Rodríguez, James L.; Díaz, Rafael M.; Durán, David; Espinosa, Linda

doi:10.1016/0885-2006(95)90017-9

Cited by 66 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In a recent study, Montrul and Potowski (2007) examined morphological proficiency in SpanishÁ English bilingual children following a dual-medium (Spanish and English) education in the USA. The findings showed that these children's proficiency with noun phrase morphology did not decline with age, as seen in children following English or transitional-bilingual programmes (Merino 1983;Rodríguez et al 1995; for a generally similar finding, see Wright, Taylor, and Macarthur 2000). Similarly, Mueller Gathercole (2002) showed that L1 Spanish Á L2 English bilingual school children attending Two-way SpanishÁEnglish programmes in the USA exhibited higher morphological and syntactic proficiency than children attending Englishmedium education.…”

Section: Hl Education and L1 Developmentmentioning

confidence: 67%

The effects of heritage language instruction on first language proficiency: a psycholinguistic perspective

Bylund

Díaz

2012

International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism

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This study investigates the effects of weekly heritage language (HL) classes on first language (L1) proficiency in speakers who arrived in the second language (L2)-dominant setting before the onset of puberty. Two groups of L1 Spanish Á L2 Swedish bilingual high school students living in Sweden participated in the study. One group currently attended HL classes once a week, whereas the other group was no longer doing so. The two groups did not differ with regard to the total number of years of HL class attendance, age of arrival in Sweden, length of residence or degree of L1 contact. Results from a grammaticality judgement test and a cloze test showed that the group that currently attended HL classes outperformed the non-attending group. Using a framework that emphasises heightened attrition susceptibility among speakers who lost contact with the L1-dominant setting before puberty, the study suggests that HL classes function as a factor that, all other things being equal, may counterweigh attrition susceptibility. Moreover, it is suggested that the effects of HL classes on L1 proficiency are short term rather than long term. That is to say, once attendance ceases the counterweighing effect is less visible.

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Section: Hl Education and L1 Developmentmentioning

confidence: 67%

The effects of heritage language instruction on first language proficiency: a psycholinguistic perspective

Bylund

Díaz

2012

International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism

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“…Yet, on a separate question these parents indicated that their children were exposed to Spanish at school. Some researchers have stated that these types of questions are confusing to parents, in part because they may not know how languages are being used in the classroom (Rodriguez, Diaz, Duran, & Espinoza, 1995). Based on participant responses in our study, however, it appears safe to assume that the children who were enrolled in preschools were exposed to some level of English instruction (either English + Spanish or English only).…”

Section: Language Usage and Exposurementioning

confidence: 83%

Language Maintenance and Loss in Preschool-Age Children of Mexican Immigrants

Guiberson

Barrett

Jancosek

et al. 2006

Communication Disorders Quarterly

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In this study, the authors plotted the Spanish language usage of 10 preschool-age children over the course of 3 years and assigned them to one of two groups: language maintenance and language loss. The authors then compared the groups' scores on structured tasks, language behaviors, and language usage/exposure variables. They found that children in the language loss group presented with more grammatical errors, whereas the language maintenance group performed better on Spanish vocabulary and language tasks. No specific variable was predictive of maintenance or loss, but the children from the language loss group began to use more English with family members or peers.

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“…Prior research has shown that preschool-aged children can successfully learn two languages and experience multiple cognitive benefits when English acquisition is not at the expense of home-language maintenance and development (Bialystok, 2001;Espinosa & Burns, 2003;Rodriguez, Duran, Diaz, & Espinosa, 1995;Winsler, Diaz, Espinosa, & Rodriguez, 1999); however, there is a very real danger that young children frequently will "prefer" the English language once they are exposed to English in a school setting (WongFillmore, 1999). Therefore, when introducing children to English in an early childhood program, it is important to implement an "additive" model of English acquisition and not a "subtractive" model where English is substituted for the home language (Garcia, 2003).…”

Section: English-language Fluencymentioning

confidence: 97%

Curriculum and Assessment Considerations for Young Children from Culturally, Linguistically, and Economically Diverse Backgrounds

Espinosa

2005

Psychology in the Schools

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Early childhood educators and school personnel increasingly will be working with children and families from diverse economic, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. While the student population is rapidly becoming diverse, the teaching force remains predominantly White and from middle‐class backgrounds (Whitebook, 2003). This growing cultural and linguistic discrepancy between the children enrolled and the teachers who teach them underscores the need for all educators to develop the skills, knowledge, and, most importantly, the attitudes to effectively teach in multicultural and multilingual settings. Children from different cultures and low‐income households who enter school programs speaking little or no English are highly vulnerable to chronic academic underachievement and eventual school failure. Recent research has revealed dramatic differences in young children's achievement in mathematics and literacy by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) at school entry (V. Lee & D. Burkam, 2002). This article reviews the relevant research on effective teaching and assessment practices for young children from diverse backgrounds and offers recommendations for school personnel. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 837–853, 2005.

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The impact of bilingual preschool education on the language development of Spanish-speaking children

Cited by 66 publications

References 5 publications

The effects of heritage language instruction on first language proficiency: a psycholinguistic perspective

The effects of heritage language instruction on first language proficiency: a psycholinguistic perspective

Language Maintenance and Loss in Preschool-Age Children of Mexican Immigrants

Curriculum and Assessment Considerations for Young Children from Culturally, Linguistically, and Economically Diverse Backgrounds

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