CAL Resource Guides Online |
Introduction
Digests
ERIC/CLL Publications
Publications From Other Sources
Listservs
Web Sites
ERIC Documents
Parents who speak more than one language are generally eager to share their languages with their children. As they begin this important undertaking, parents frequently have questions about how second language learning affects reading ability, social skills, and scholastic achievement. Whether or not they speak more than one language themselves, many wonder how best to help their children learn more than one language.
Research suggests that children who learn a second language are more creative and better at solving complex problems than those who do not. Studies have shown that bilinguals outperform similar monolingual peers on both verbal and nonverbal tests of intelligence and tend to achieve higher scores on standardized tests. Individuals who speak more than one language have the ability to communicate with more people, read more literature, and benefit more fully from travel abroad. Knowing a second language also gives people a competitive advantage in the workforce. These are some of the compelling reasons for parents to encourage the development of a second (or third) language with their children.
To help parents decide whether to raise their children bilingually, as well as to provide information about how best to proceed once they have made that decision, this Resource Guide lists publications, Web sites, conferences, listservs, and other information, followed by a search of the ERIC database to guide further research.
ERIC/CLL is grateful to Dr. Colin Baker, Professor of Education at the University of Wales at Bangor and author of numerous authoritative books on bilingualism, and Marjukka Grover, Editor of the Bilingual Family Newsletter, for their valuable assistance in compiling this Resource Guide Online.
Digests are brief overviews of topics in education. ERIC/CLL has prepared many timely digests on topics related to foreign language teaching and learning. The following digests may be of interest to parents who want their children to learn more than one language.
Two or More Languages in Early Childhood
Guidelines for Starting an Elementary School Foreign Language Program
Ten Common Fallacies about Bilingual Education
Spanish for Native Speakers: Developing Dual Language Proficiency
Tapping a National Resource: Heritage Languages in the United States
Why, How, and When Should My Child Learn a Second Language is a publication for parents. It answers a number of critical questions about early foreign language learning, including the following:
Resource Guide Online: The Benefits of Early Language Learning provides links to publications, conferences, Web sites, and other information about early language learning.
Resource Guide Online: The Effectiveness of Bilingual Education provides links to resources on bilingual education.
K–12 Foreign Language Education. The ERIC Review, Volume 6, Number 1 (Fall 1998). This issue covers foreign language education at the elementary and secondary school level and includes timely articles of interest to educators, policymakers, parents, and others. Print copies may be ordered from ACCESS ERIC (telephone number: 1-800-538-3742).
Curtain, H. (1993.) An Early Start: A Resource Book for Elementary School Foreign Language. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics. Available from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service. ERIC Document No. ED 353 849.
Arnberg, L. (1987.) Raising Children Bilingually: The Pre-school Years. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Baker, C. (1993.) Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Baker, C. (1995.) A Parents' and Teachers' Guide to Bilingualism. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters. (Second Edition forthcoming in 2000.)
Baker, C., & Prys Jones, S. (1998.) Encyclopedia of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Baker, C. (in press.) The Care and Education of Young Bilinguals: An Introduction for Professionals. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Bialystok, E. (1991.) Language Processing in Bilingual Children. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
The Bilingual Family Newsletter. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters. This newsletter, written by and for parents who are raising their children bilingually, provides a wealth of information, resources, and support for multilingual families.
Buckley, S. (1998.) Bilingual Children with Down's Syndrome. Down Syndrome News and Update 1 (1).
Caldas, S., & Caron-Caldas, S. (1992.) Rearing Bilingual Children in a Monolingual Culture: A Louisiana Experience. American Speech, 67(3), 290-96.
Curtain, H., & Pesola, C.A.B. (1994.) Languages and Children: Making the Match. Foreign Language Instruction for an Early Start, Grades K–8. (Second Edition.) White Plains, New York: Longman. 494p.
Depke, S. (1992.) One Parent, One Language: An Interactional Approach. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Grosjean, F. (1982.) Life with Two Languages: An Introduction to Bilingualism. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Cunningham-Andersson, U., & Andersson, S. (1999.) Growing Up with Two Languages: A Practical Guide. London: Routledge.
Genesee, F., Paradis, J., & Crago, M. (2004.) Dual Language Development & Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Company.
Harding, E., & Riley, P. (1986.) The Bilingual Family: A Handbook for Parents. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Homel, P., Palij, M., & Aaronson, D. (1987.) Childhood Bilingualism: Aspects of Linguistic, Cognitive, and Social Development. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Lyon, J. (1996.) Becoming Bilingual: Language Acquisition in a Bilingual Community. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Met, M. (1998). Critical Issues in Early Second Language Learning. Glenview, IL: Addison-Wesley. 339p. ISBN Number needed for ordering: ISBN O-673-58919-6. K–12 teachers may call 1-800-552-2259; postsecondary teachers call 1-800-322-1377; all others call 1-800-822-6339. This professional resource book provides state of the art insights and information about second language study in the elementary school.
Saunders, G. (1982.) Bilingual Parenting: Guidance for the Family. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Saunders, G. (1988.) Bilingual Parenting: From Birth to Teens. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Swords, T. (1999.) Doubletalk: Raising a Bilingual Family. Children Today (http://childrentoday.com/resources/articles/bilingual.htm).
Woods, P., Boyle, M., & Hubbard, N. (1999.) Multicultural Children in the Early Years: Creative Teaching, Meaningful Learning. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Yamada-Yamamoto, A., & Richards, B. (Eds.) (1998.) Japanese Children Abroad: Cultural, Educational and Language Issues. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Bilingual Families Discussion List is a listserv for families who are raising their children bilingually. To subscribe, send a message to biling-fam-subscribe@nethelp.no. Leave the subject and message fields blank.
The Foreign Language Teaching Forum (FLTEACH) is the major listserv for foreign language teachers, with lively and informative discussions. The FLTEACH archives contain numerous discussions about early foreign language learning. To subscribe, leave the subject line blank; send the message
SUB FLTEACH FIRSTNAME LASTNAME
to
listserv@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu.
Bilingual Books for Kids offers books for Spanish-English bilinguals (http://www.bilingualbooks.com).
Bilingual Families Web page is a place for bilingual parents to find information and resources to help them raise their children bilingually (http://www.nethelp.no/cindy/biling-fam.html). This organization also maintains a listserv. To subscribe, send a message to majordomo@nvg.unit.no. In the body of the message type SUBSCRIBE BILING-FAM YOUREMAILADDRESS.
Bilingual Parenting in a Foreign Language Web site is geared toward parents interested in raising their children to speak a foreign language that is not native to either parent, but has many links to resources of interest to all bilingual families (http://www.byu.edu/~bilingua/index.html).
Childbook.com is an importer and distributor of children books, videos, CDs, and other materials in Chinese.
Early Advantage publishes MUZZY, award-winning software in Spanish, French, and other languages from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (http://www.early-advantage.com).
The Foreign Language Teaching Forum (FLTEACH) Web site is a useful starting point for finding resources for teaching languages. The site also provides subscription information for the FLTEACH listserv and an extensive archive of FLTEACH discussions on topics of interest to language teachers and others interested in language learning (http://www.cortland.edu/flteach).
The German Language School Conference (GLSC) is the national organization for private German language schools in the United States. GLSC represents its member-schools and their interests concerning German language and culture and serves as a forum for pedagogical, administrative, legal, social, and other concerns.
Multilingual Matters is an international publisher specializing in books and journals on all aspects of multilingual and multicultural education, including second language learning. Multilingual Matters offers many publications on the subject of early language learning and bilingualism (http://www.multilingual-matters.com).
The National Clearinghouse on Bilingual Education (NCBE) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs (OBEMLA) to collect, analyze, and disseminate information about linguistically and culturally diverse learners in the United States. NCBE provides information through its World Wide Web site; produces a bi-weekly news bulletin, Newsline; and manages a topical electronic discussion group, NCBE Roundtable. ASKNCBE FAQs are particularly helpful (http://www.ncela.gwu.edu).
The National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL) is dedicated to promoting foreign language instruction for all students, kindergarten through 8th grade, and to supporting educators who teach those students (http://www.educ.iastate.edu/nnell).
Additional resources on this topic are available through the ERIC database of educational documents. The following search lists books, papers, reports, journal articles, and other documents of interest. Information on obtaining these materials appears after the search.
To conduct your own search of the ERIC database, visit an ERIC Center or conduct your own search on the Web.
ED426617
One Child, Many Worlds: Early Learning in Multicultural Communities. Language and Literacy Series.
Gregory, Eve, Ed.
1997
192p.
ISBN: 0-8077-3715-1
Available From: Teachers College Press, P.O. Box 20, Williston, VT 05495-0020; Tel: 800-575-6566 (Toll Free); Fax: 802-864-7626; e-mail: tcp.orders@aidcvt.com ($20.95).
By drawing on the experiences of children aged 3 to 8 attending schools in
Britain, Germany, Iceland, Australia, and the United States, 11 case studies
of young children
provide insight into what it means for children to enter a new language and
culture in school. The case studies are: "Learning through Difference: Cultural Practices in
Early Childhood Language Socialisation" (Allan Luke, Joan Kale); "Two Sisters at
School: Issues for Educators of Young Bilingual Children" (Rose Drury); "Continuities
and Discontinuities: Teaching and Learning in the Home and School of a Puerto Rican
Five Year Old" (Dinah Volk); "Stories from Two Worlds: Bilingual Experiences between
Fact and Fiction" (Michaela Ulich, Pamela Oberhuemer); "A Child Writes from Her
Everyday World: Using Home Texts To Develop Biliteracy at School" (Charmian Kenner);
"Investigating Literacy in London: Three Generations of Readers in an East End
Family" (Ann Williams); "Learning To Read, Reading To Learn: The Importance of
Siblings in the Language Development of Young Bilingual Children" (Nasima Rashid, Eve
Gregory); "Friends as Teachers: The Impact of Peer Interaction on the Acquisition of
a New Language" (Susi Long); "Working in Partnership: Parents, Teacher and Support
Teacher Together" (Maureen Turner); "Why You Don't Eat Bananas: An Exploration of a
Child's Possible Worlds in Story" (Inge Cramer); and "From Karelia to Kashmir: A
Journey into Bilingual Children's Story-Reading Experiences within School and
Community Literacy Practice" (Leena Robertson). (MSE)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; Case Studies; Classroom Environment; *Cultural
Pluralism; *Early Childhood Education; *Family Influence; Language Acquisition;
Language Research; *Language Role; Learning Processes; Parent Role; Parent Teacher
Cooperation; Peer Influence; Second Language Learning; Second Languages; Siblings;
Story Reading; Story Telling; *Young Children
Identifiers: Biliteracy
EJ537678
A Longitudinal Study of Pragmatic Differentiation in Young Bilingual Children.
Nicoladis, Elena; Genesee, Fred
Language Learning, v46 n3 p439-64 Sep 1996
Examined whether there is an earlier developmental stage than 2 years of age when
bilingual children do not use their languages in pragmatically differentiated ways.
Analyses of recordings of four French-English bilingual children in Canada during
free play sessions with their mothers and fathers suggest a stage very early in
development when bilingual children do not show pragmatic differentiation in language
use. (32 references) (Author/CK)
Descriptors: Audiotape Recordings; *Bilingualism; *Child Language; Code Switching
(Language); *Developmental Stages; English; Fathers; Foreign Countries; French;
Language Proficiency; Language Usage; Longitudinal Studies; Mothers; Parent Child
Relationship; *Play; *Pragmatics; Preschool Children; Translation; Videotape
Recordings
Identifiers: *Canada
EJ524567
What Do Parents Expect? Children's Language Acquisition in a Bilingual Community.
Aldridge, Michelle; Waddon, Alun
Results of a survey of 200 parents attending baby and child clinics in North Wales
show that parents know less about language development than about other areas of
child development. Results suggest that both monolingual and bilingual parents and
their children would benefit from improved information on how to facilitate language
development. (43 references) (Author/CK)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; *Child Language; Foreign Countries; Hypothesis Testing;
*Language Attitudes; *Language Fluency; *Parent Role; Questionnaires; *Second
Language Learning; Uncommonly Taught Languages; Welsh
Identifiers: *United Kingdom; Wales
EJ522951
Language Differentiation in Early Bilingual Development.
Genesee, Fred; And Others
Examined language differentiation in bilingual toddlers prior to the emergence of
functional categories. The children were observed with each parent separately and
both together. Results indicate that while these children did code mix, they were
able to differentiate between their two languages. There was some evidence that
language dominance played a role. (27 references) (Author/CK)
Descriptors: Audiotape Recordings; *Bilingualism; *Child Language; *Code Switching
(Language); English; Foreign Countries; French; Language Acquisition; *Language
Dominance; *Language Fluency; Parent Child Relationship; *Parent Influence; Toddlers;
Videotape Recordings
Identifiers: Canada
EJ486894
From Preschool to Home: Processes of Generalisation in Language Acquisition from an
Indigenous Language Recovery Programme.
Tangaere, Arapera Royal; McNaughton, Stuart
This case study examined the effects of a Maori language and culture immersion
preschool program on a preschooler's English and Maori language usage at home.
School and home observations revealed the importance of the child's role in acquiring
bilingual expertise, the presence of complementary activities at home, and shared
cultural commitments. (MDM)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; Case Studies; Child Role; Cultural Awareness; *Family
Life; Foreign Countries; *Immersion Programs; Influences; *Language Acquisition;
Parent Child Relationship; *Preschool Children; Preschool Education
Identifiers: *Maori (Language); Maori (People); *New Zealand
EJ436475
Educating Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Preschoolers: Moving the Agenda.
Kagan, Sharon L.; Garcia, Eugene E.
Attributes comparative policy inattention to linguistically and culturally diverse
preschoolers to several causes including widely held personal beliefs, political
ideologies, misperceptions about demographics, and academic disciplinary
fragmentation. Explores the current state of today's practice and suggests four
fundamental issues that must be addressed if policy and practice are to improve.
(Author/GLR)
Descriptors: Bilingualism; *Cultural Differences; *Educational Policy; *Educational
Quality; Family Relationship; *Language Acquisition; Leadership; *Minority Group
Children; Parent Child Relationship; Preschool Children; *Preschool Education; Second
Language Learning; Socialization
Identifiers: *Language Diversity; Modality Based Instruction
EJ333216
Mother-Child Interaction: Methodological Considerations.
Whalen, Suzanne
Issues in Applied Psycholinguistics, v17 n2-3 p231-42 Sep-Dec 1985
Describes a study which attempts to place the problem of second language learning
and use by bilingual children into a framework of double socialization through the
analysis of mother-child and peer group interaction. Ukrainian and Greek second
generation mothers and their children aged 5-6 years were observed in four sessions.
(SED)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; Child Language; *Discourse Analysis; Interaction
Process Analysis; *Language Usage; Mothers; *Parent Child Relationship; Second
Language Learning; *Socialization; *Speech Communication; Young Children
Identifiers: *Turn Taking
EJ329915
Language Acquisition in Two Trilingual Children.
Hoffmann, Charlotte
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, v6 n6 p479-95 1985
Describes the language development of two children, now aged 5 and 8, who acquired
two languages--Spanish and German--simultaneously from birth and a third--English--
when very young. Focuses on the following factors: patterns of interference, code
switching, language dominance, the role of parents, the social environment, and the
child's personality. (SED)
Descriptors: Child Language; Code Switching (Language); English; German;
*Interference (Language); *Language Acquisition; *Language Dominance;
*Multilingualism; *Parent Role; Second Language Learning; Social Environment; Spanish
EJ276599
Infant Bilingualism: A Look at Some Doubts and Objections.
Saunders, George
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, v3 n4 p277-92 1982
Criticizes some recently published views on the difficulty of raising children
bilingually (e.g., tolerance of children's deviations from adult speech, the
influence of friends, and finding an adequate vocabulary for a foreign environment).
Also discusses the use of children as subjects in language research. (EKN)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; *Child Language; *Child Rearing; *Language Acquisition;
Language Dominance; *Language Maintenance; Language Research; Language Role
ED422750
Bilingual Family Case Studies (Vol. 2). Monographs on Bilingualism No. 5.
Kamada, Laurel D.
Japan Association for Language Teaching, Tokyo. 1997
The group of case studies of family bilingualism examined the influences of
maternal and paternal native language, schooling choices, travel and residence
choices, and family background on development of bilingualism in the children. The
families studied include eight Japanese-English bilingual families (one study
including five generations) and two Chinese-Japanese families, including a total of
20 children. In each case, the family, language, and educational background of each
family member is described and the family context for bilingualism is explored. The
educational choices of the families and some of the main themes emerging in the case
studies are also summarized. Themes identified include: the important influence of
the parents in language development; the greater influence of the mother's native
language; development of passive bilingualism; the role of parent language use in
language loss or attrition; the differential roles of parent monolingualism and
bilingualism; the influence of missionary upbringing; the importance of reinforcement
of language skills in families changing location; long trips overseas as a factor in
bilingual development; and the role of minority language literacy training in the
home. (Contains 3 references.) (MSE)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; Case Studies; Chinese; Comparative Analysis;
Educational Background; English; Family Environment; *Family Influence; Family
(Sociological Unit); Fathers; Foreign Countries; Japanese; Language Acquisition;
Language Dominance; Language Proficiency; Language Research; *Language Role;
Monolingualism; Mothers; Native Speakers; *Parent Influence; Place of Residence;
Second Language Learning; *Second Languages; *Sex Differences; Travel
Identifiers: Missionaries
ED415671
The Bilingual Parent as Model for the Bilingual Child.
Noguchi, Mary Goebel
Policy Science, p245-61 Mar 1996 1996
A survey investigated how language management strategies used by bilingual
families could create family communication problems. The study was inspired
by experience
with bilingual families in which rigid adherence to a language policy appeared
to impede communication. Respondents were 83 members of a special interest
group on
bilingualism within a Japanese language teacher's association. The survey
explored respondent familiarity with the "one person-one language" strategy
in which each parent speaks his own language at home, and home/community
language strategy in which
parents speak the minority language in the home and children learn the majority
language through interactions outside the family. Results suggest that families
applying these two language management strategies often face a wide range
of
problems, especially after the children reach school age and when families
have more than one child. An alternative approach is recommended, in which
parents make a
conscious effort to help their children bridge the gap between two divergent
languages and cultures through systematic modeling and promotion of the development
of both languages. Specific techniques for achieving this are offered, including
modeling, recasting/expansion/filling in the blanks, debriefing, and temporary
intensive training. (Contains 15 references.) (MSE)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; Child Language; *English (Second Language); Foreign
Countries; Interpersonal Communication; Japanese; Language Patterns; *Language Role;
Language Teachers; *Parent Child Relationship; *Parent Influence; Professional
Associations; *Second Languages; Surveys
Identifiers: Japan
ED414111
Pushing Boundaries: Language and Culture in a Mexicano Community.
Vasquez, Olga A.; Pease-Alvarez, Lucinda; Shannon, Sheila M.
1994
234p.
This book describes how bilingual children and their families actively and
innovatively use available cultural and linguistic resources to pursue their
goals.
Three separate ethnographic studies were conducted within the same Mexicano
community in Lincoln City, California. Descriptions of everyday talk of children
and adults
focus on how children acquire and use knowledge and language from a variety
of contexts to accomplish social and personal needs. Descriptions highlight
conversations during preschoolers' routine activities in home and school,
use of
school language or knowledge in such interactions, parents' deliberate role
in their children's language socialization, the linguistic flexibility of
preadolescent
bilingual children, one child's role as interpreter and advocate, analytic
strategies children learn during extended problem-solving situations as the
immigrant family
negotiates a new language and culture, and the children of immigrants as cultural
brokers. Ethnographic data are interpreted from a "recognition perspective" that
looks beyond cultural discontinuity to capture similarities in language use
across
various contexts, the convergence of multiple knowledge sources in a single
context, and the uniqueness of language use practices fostered by Mexican
culture. Rather
than being isolated, the immigrant Mexicano community exists at an intersection
of multiple cultures and languages, full of opportunities to acquire, transmit,
or
combine cultural and linguistic resources. Pedagogical implications of this
view are explored through three examples--cross-age tutoring, after-school
educational
activities, and two-way bilingual education--that illustrate how linguistic
and cultural practices can inform curriculum development and instructional
strategies.
Contains 148 references, notes, and an index. (SV)
Descriptors: Biculturalism; Bilingual Education; *Bilingualism; Cultural Exchange;
Elementary Secondary Education; Family Life; Hispanic American Culture; Immigrants;
Intercultural Communication; *Language Acquisition; *Mexican Americans; *Oral
Language; *Parent Child Relationship; Preschool Education; Sociolinguistics
Identifiers: Chicanos; *Family Communication
ED411686
Japanese Parents Bringing Up Their Children in English. Monographs on Bilingualism
No. 2.
Yukawa, Emiko
Japan Association of Language Teachers, Okinawa. 1994
17p.
Available From: Department of General Education, Osaka Institute of Technology,
Omiya 5-16-1, Asahi-ku, Osaka 535, Japan (300 yen).
This monograph describes the experience of a Japanese family raising their children
bilingually in Japan by adopting English as the home language. Both parents are
native Japanese who went to graduate school in the United States and now teach
English at the college level. Although both parents are very proficient in English,
they recognize they will never reach native speaker level. Therefore, they decided
to raise their two children as native English speakers, who will acquire Japanese
from the community outside the home. In describing the methods used by the parents
to raise their children bilingually, the decisions they had to make about culture,
and the various periods in which one language or the other dominated as the family
moved back and forth across the Pacific, the paper frequently cites and evaluates
current research on bilingualism. (Author/VWL)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; Case Studies; *English (Second Language); Foreign
Countries; Graduate Study; Higher Education; Language Acquisition; Language
Proficiency; Language Research; Language Teachers; *Parent Child Relationship; Parent
Role; Second Language Learning
Identifiers: *Japan; Japanese People; United States
ED410725
Bilingual Children in Special Education: Acquisition of Language and Culture
by
British Pakistani Children Attending a School for Pupils with "Severe Learning
Difficulties."
Miles, Christine
1996
156p.; M. Phil. (Ed.) Thesis, University of Birmingham, England.
The context and processes of language acquisition in bilingual, bicultural British-
Pakistani and British-Asian children (ages 2-19) attending a school for severe
learning difficulties (SLD) were investigated. The first study compared 20 children
with SLD who had a proficiency in speaking English and in their mother tongue (Urdu,
Punjabi, Hindko, or Pushto). In the second study, the language acquisition processes
were observed in 10 children who initially attended the nursery department and were
not talking in any language. In the third study, a video was made of early language
and communication in two British-Asian infants with SLD. The video was shown to
mothers of children with SLD, who had widely varying reactions to the ideas conveyed
and play activities shown. Results of the studies indicate that school support of
mother tongues was highly important in facilitating some children's language
acquisition. Knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of teachers and families appear to be
crucial in providing or hindering access to mother tongue learning. Suggestions are
made for enhancing awareness of the linguistic and cultural issues among school
management, staff, and families; for improving school practice, largely by better use
of existing resources; and for further research. Appendices include information
about bilingualism and bilingual education. (Contains over 700 references.) (Author/
CR)
Descriptors: *Bilingual Education; *Bilingualism; Communication Skills; Cultural
Awareness; Cultural Influences; Elementary Secondary Education; Family Influence;
Foreign Countries; *Language Acquisition; Language Fluency; *Mental Retardation;
Minority Group Children; Mothers; Parent Child Relationship; Preschool Education;
*Special Education
Identifiers: Asians; Great Britain; *Pakistanis
ED404848
Psycholinguistic Aspects of Bilingualism.
Dopke, S.; And Others
1991
60p.; In: Bilingualism and Bilingual Education. NLIA Occasional Paper No. 2
This paper considers psycholinguistic aspects of bilingualism from two
perspectives: the psychology of the individual and social psychology. The linguistic
development of children is described and research is presented that compares
bilingual and monolingual children with respect to cognitive development. The
emotional consequences of parents' decision to speak or not to speak their own
language with their children after they have arrived in a new country is discussed as
well as social factors that influence the levels of proficiency that bilingual
speakers attain. The future of bilingualism in Australia is a function of people's
attitudes to languages and varieties of language; social identity theory frames the
discussion of Australian research on language attitudes. Recommendations focus on
encouraging bilingualism at the family and community levels. (JP)
Descriptors: *Bilingual Education; *Bilingualism; Children; Cognitive Development;
Comparative Analysis; Cultural Influences; Foreign Countries; *Individual Psychology;
Language Acquisition; Language Attitudes; Language Research; Monolingualism; *Parent
Child Relationship; Parent Influence; *Psycholinguistics; *Social Psychology
Identifiers: Australia
ED392273
Le rôle de l'identité ethnique dans l'acquisition et la rétention de compétences
culturelles et de communication en milieu minoritaire francophone du Nord
de
l'Ontario (The Role of Ethnic Identity in Acquisition and Retention of Cultural
and Communicative Competence in a Francophone Minority Context in Northern
Ontario).
Duquette, Georges
1996
464p.
A two-and-a-half-year study in northern Ontario (Canada) investigated the
relationship between characteristics of the minority French-speaking community, home
environment, and the school and classroom environments. Focus was on factors
affecting the development and maintenance of cultural awareness, ethnic identity, and
communicative competence in French. Four cohorts of students were studied: from
kindergarten to second grade, third to fifth grade, sixth to eight grade, and ninth
to eleventh grade. Data presented here are based on descriptive statistics,
structured ethnographic observations, and normative tests. Data and analyses are
summarized in substantial statistical tables within and appended to the report.
Findings resulted in the recommendation of 20 instructional strategies and actions
for French-language schools in Ontario, based on five basic principles: (1) input
before output, life experiences before competence, and comprehension before
production; (2) competencies must be developed in accord with the environment; (3)
accentuation and validation of Ontario youth and their cultural identity as French
Canadians; (4) while addition of a second language does not require loss of the first
language, lack of experiences in the first language can have that effect; and (5)
support for French Canadian management of their own institutions. (MSE)
Descriptors: Bilingualism; Classroom Environment; Classroom Techniques;
*Communicative Competence (Languages); *Cultural Awareness; Elementary Secondary
Education; *Ethnicity; Ethnography; Family Environment; Family Influence; Foreign
Countries; *French; *French Canadians; Language Acquisition; *Language Maintenance;
Language of Instruction; Language Research; Minority Groups; Native Language
Instruction; Preschool Education
Identifiers: Canada; *Non European Francophone Areas; Ontario
ED370431
Growing Up with Language: How Children Learn To Talk.
Baron, Naomi S.
1992
285p.
This book is designed to provide practical advice to parents and educators on the
language acquisition process. Citing numerous case studies and anecdotal examples,
it explains how children learn to talk and acquire language. Chapter 1 serves as an
introduction to language acquisition, explaining the components, forms, and structure
of language. Chapter 2 focuses on language development in infants from birth to the
time they articulate their first words, exploring how conversational imperative
drives children's early attempts at communication. Chapter 3 focuses on the
transition period from single words to structured phrases, when young toddlers are
able to express a wealth of information through a handful of sounds, words, and
conversational techniques. Chapter 4 and 5 analyze the language strategies of
preschoolers as they move from the earliest stages of grammar to becoming saturated
speakers of the language. Chapter 6 looks at how children learn to reflect on
language, to function in two languages, and to develop facility with other language
modalities. Chapter 7 draws together information from the early months of life
through age 5 or 6 on how children in a literate society become acculturated in
reading and writing. Contains 30 pages of notes, references, and information sources.
(MDM)
Descriptors: Bilingualism; *Child Language; Discourse Analysis; Early Childhood
Education; *Language Acquisition; Language Attitudes; Language Patterns; *Learning
Strategies; Literacy; Parent Child Relationship; Psycholinguistics; *Speech
Communication; *Verbal Development; *Young Children
ED362002
Early Bilingualism: The Soviet Experience. The Milton and Eleanor Fromer Lecture on
Early Childhood Education (4th, March 5, 1990).
Negnevitskaya, Elena J.
National Council of Jewish Women, Jerusalem (Israel). Research Inst. for Innovation
in Education. 5 Mar 1990
20p.
A discussion of bilingualism in young children in the Soviet Union looks at the
three main forms of early bilingualism (bilingual home environment, different
languages spoken at home and in school, and second language instruction in school),
notes the challenges they pose for development and maintenance of bilingual skills,
and then describes a program using a communicative approach to teach second language
to preschoolers. Vocabulary and content carefully selected to be appropriate for
children's communication were organized into games that built new language skills and
incorporated free activity on the part of the children. Initially, the approach met
with resistance by teachers, but gained popularity among teachers and the public.
Changes in the Soviet concept of preschool education, emerging in about 1988, shifted
the emphasis from preschool as preparation for later schooling to preschool as a
place to both learn and develop trust and well-being. A special research project was
begun to help teachers guide, observe, and control the language-learning process in
this context. The system of communication games used initially has evolved and been
adapted for use with older students and students with special needs. (MSE)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; *Child Language; *Classroom Communication; Classroom
Techniques; Curriculum Design; Foreign Countries; Interpersonal Communication;
*Language Acquisition; Language Research; *Language Role; Language Usage; Parent
Child Relationship; Preschool Children; Preschool Education; Program Descriptions;
Student Characteristics; Young Children
Identifiers: *USSR
ED356861
The Development of Bilingual Ability in Pre-School Children. NIE-BvLF Project Sub-
Study.
Loh, Shoou Ai; Sim, Wong Kooi
Institute of Education (Singapore). 20 Feb 1993
32p.; Paper presented at the NIE-BvLF Regional Seminar (Singapore, February 20,
1993).
To investigate the actual and possible roles of parents in the development of
preschoolers' bilingual ability, this study examined the home environments and
bilingual ability of Singapore preschoolers. A total of 378 children, aged 5 and 6
years, were divided into 2 groups and individually interviewed. Children in one
group began the interview in English; the other group began the interview in Chinese.
During the interview, children were tested in English and Chinese in the areas of
vocabulary, listening comprehension, story comprehension, translation, and verbal
fluency. Children also completed a Home Language Environment Questionnaire. The
children's parents also completed questionnaires. Analysis showed that children who
perceived their home environment to be predominantly bilingual produced optimal
performances in both English and Chinese language tests. Most parents were actively
involved in helping their children develop language ability either directly or
indirectly. Results also revealed that while children performed well in all language
tests, there were some common areas of weakness in both languages, as well as
important differences in certain corresponding aspects of English and Chinese, which
could affect interlanguage transfer. (MM)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; Bilingual Students; Chinese; English; *Family
Environment; Foreign Countries; *Language Acquisition; *Language Aptitude; Mandarin
Chinese; Parent Influence; *Parent Role; *Preschool Children; Preschool Education
Identifiers: *Singapore
ED321574
Three Types of Bilingualism.
D'Acierno, Maria Rosaria
Mar 1990
65p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Association of
Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (24th, Dublin, Ireland, March 27-30, 1990).
A discussion of bilingualism and second language learning distinguishes three types
of bilingualism, namely, compound, coordinate, and sub-coordinate. A compound
bilingual is an individual who learns two languages in the same environment so that
he/she acquires one notion with two verbal expressions. A coordinate bilingual
acquires the two languages in different contexts (e.g., home and school), so the
words of the two languages belong to separate and independent systems. In a sub-
coordinate bilingual, one language dominates. As illustration, language development
is examined in case studies of the following Italian/English bilingual children in
Italy: (1) a two-year-old whose Italian father uses both languages and whose English
mother uses mostly English; (2) two sisters aged five and nine whose parents are
Italian but who have always attended English-language schools; and (3) two Italian
teenage boys whose mother has always spoken English to them and who have always
attended English-language schools. The successes and problems faced by the children
and their parents in developing bilingualism are discussed. It is concluded that in
addition to biological predisposition, motivation and context play a significant role
in bilingual development, and that overall, the bilingual experience is enriching.
(MSE)
Descriptors: Adolescents; *Bilingualism; Case Studies; *Child Language; Comparative
Analysis; *Educational Environment; English (Second Language); *Environmental
Influences; Foreign Countries; Infants; Italian; Language Acquisition; *Language
Dominance; Learning Processes; Parent Role; Second Language Learning; *Second
Languages; Young Children
Identifiers: *Italy
ED281389
Developing Bilingual Behavior: Language Choice and Social Context.
Fantini, Alvino E.
1987
22p.
Three aspects of bilingual code-switching are examined: (1) code-switching as an
integral part of bilingual behavior, especially in early stages of language
acquisition; (2) social factors influencing the child's ability to differentiate
languages and make an appropriate language choice; and (3) hierarchical organization
of these social factors, based on their order of emergence and relative significance
in affecting language choice. Data were obtained from ten-year longitudinal studies
of two children raised bilingually in Spanish and English. The findings suggest that
while the social factors in each case vary greatly, children learn early to discern
the factors that are significant for their own context and guide the choice of
language. Although bilinguals alternate and even mix codes, they also know in which
instances to make separate linguistic choices regardless of their proficiency in the
second language. Families are found to play a critical role in developing the
patterns for early bilingual behavior and insuring its continuance while the
mainstream language becomes more dominant in the child's life. Separate language use
appears to aid language differentiation and bilingual development, while continuous
language mixing may encourage passive bilingualism and lagging development in one or
both languages. The evidence is found to favor maintaining language distinctiveness.
(MSE)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; Case Studies; Child Language; Children; *Code Switching
(Language); Cognitive Processes; English; Interlanguage; *Language Acquisition;
Language Role; Longitudinal Studies; *Metacognition; Parent Role; *Social Influences;
Spanish; *Speech Habits
ED265959
Fostering Bilingualism in Early Childhood in an English-Speaking Home.
Westerlund, Elaine
1982
27p.
The decision of parents whose native language is English to raise their child
bilingually prompted a review of the literature concerning approaches to fostering
infant bilingualism. The review focuses on (1) language strategies most often
adopted by the bilingual family, such as dichotomy and alteration; (2) other family
variables; (3) the Grammont formula; (4) setting and function; (5) factors related to
person; (6) violations of the person/language rule; (7) issues of inclusion and
exclusion related to language selection; (8) dominance and balance; and (9)
alternative educational programs. The concluding section of the review offers 17
guidelines parents might adopt in their endeavor to foster bilingualism in their
young children. (RH)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; *Child Rearing; Guidelines; Infants; *Language
Acquisition; Literature Reviews; *Parent Role; Preschool Children; *Second Language
Learning
Identifiers: English Speaking
ED233564
Early Childhood Bilingualism, with Special Reference to the Mexican-American Child.
First Edition.
Garcia, Eugene E.
28 Sep 1983
234p.
Major concepts and findings related to the acquisition of early childhood
bilingualism among Mexican American children are examined. Results are reported for
empirical studies of bilingual acquisition, bilingual mother-child discourse,
contextual and input parameters, interlanguage transfer, interactional language
switching, and bilingual mother-child language acquisition. Among the other issues
reviewed are tasks of native language acquisition, second language acquisition,
incidence of bilingualism, linguistic input, sociocultural considerations,
implications of language transfer for early childhood education, language switching
discourse, cognitive development and language, bilingual education, and research
considerations. (RW)
Descriptors: *Bilingualism; *Child Language; Early Childhood Education; Language
Acquisition; *Mexican Americans; Parent Child Relationship; Second Language Learning;
Speech Communication
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