Myth or Fact?

• If you want children to learn English quickly, you should only have them hear English.

Dual Language Acquisition

• Children learning two or more languages sometimes score lower on vocabulary assessments in each individual language

• BUT “conceptual vocabulary” (combined vocabulary in both languages not including translations of the same word) usually equals monolingual children (Pearson et al., 1993).

Dual Language Acquisition

• Most studies show very young children reach milestones in similar time frames as children learning only one language– Babbling (Oller, et al, 1997; Mineva & Genesee, 2002)

– First words and word combinations (Petitto et.al., 2001)

– Learn and use pronouns (De Houwer, 1990; Paridis & Genesee, 1996; Yip & Matthews, 2000)

Myth or Fact?

• If children are learning more than one language simultaneously, they will become confused.

Dual Language Acquisition

Code-Switching and Code-Mixing

• Normal in toddlers and young preschoolers:– DOES NOT reflect incompetence or confusion– DOES reflect cognitive and communicative

competence (knowledge that the concept goes there—using the word you know to “fill the gap”)

– Is a window into a child’s vocabulary and needs for vocabulary support

(Genessee, 2006)

Dual Language Acquisition

• Most studies show concepts, language, and literacy skills transfer

to second language (Hakuta & Pease-Alvarez, 1992; Rodriguez, Diaz,

Duran, & Espinosa, 1995; Stipek & Alarcon, 2001; Winsler, Diaz, Espinosa, & Rodriguez, 1999)

Myth or Fact?

• In order for children to develop their language skills at home, parents should speak in the language that they are most comfortable in, even if it is not English.

Dual Language Acquisition

• Children’s home and second languages BOTH become stronger when:– primary language is supported at home

and in the community– preschool curriculum supports both

languages

(Baker, 2000; Cummins, 2000; Skutnabb-Kangas, 2000)

Dual Language Acquisition:Social-Emotional Considerations

• Children who do not maintain their home language could lose ability to communicate well with their family (Wong-Fillmore, 1991).

Dual Language Acquisition

• Children with strong vocabulary base in primary language learn to read, write, and speak in their 2nd language faster – than those without a strong base in

primary language (Cummins, 2000; Baker, 2000; Skutnabb-Kangas, 2000).

Dual Language Acquisition:Life-Long Benefits

• Children:– Cognitive advantages in ability to

categorize and retrieve information efficiently (Bialystock, 2004)

• Adults– Economic advantages– Less dementia in old age (Bialystock,

2007)

Simultaneous Dual Language Development

• Birth up to three years

• Start with no vocabulary in any language

• Process of language development is the same in both languages– Labeling (nouns)– Describing words (adjectives)– Grammatical structure

• Infants and toddlers learn general concepts and then refine their meanings through their experiences.

Simultaneous Language Development

• Infants and toddlers cannot yet transfer concepts across languages

• Language development is SIMULTANEOUS– the child is learning both languages

separately at the same time– possibly in different environments

Sequential Dual Language Development

• Children over three

• Older children and adults

• Attach new label to existing concepts and words

Implications for PracticeSimultaneous vs. Sequential

• Infants and toddlers learn from experience– Staff and families should work

together to help them both languages

• Consider what they already know in both languages

• Share ideas across environments• Staff should consider multiple

strategies to support children in all their languages

Supporting Dual Language Development

We need to focus on providing children experiences that enable them to develop strong vocabularies in one or more languages.

Implications

• Preschool staff should work closely with families to assure new concepts and words are taught in all the child’s languages and environments.