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Eisenwort B, Felnhofer A, Klier C. Mehrsprachiges Aufwachsen und Sprachentwicklungsstörungen. Eine Übersichtsarbeit. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR KINDER-UND JUGENDPSYCHIATRIE UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2018; 46:488-496. [DOI: 10.1024/1422-4917/a000599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung. Für viele Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund ist das Erlernen der Zweitsprache im Aufnahmeland eine bedeutende Hürde für den Bildungserfolg. Durch die Vielzahl der Sprachen, die noch nicht detailliert linguistisch beschrieben sind, ist die Entwicklung von entsprechenden validen und reliablen Diagnoseinstrumenten und Screeningverfahren äußerst erschwert. Daraus entsteht ein diagnostisches Dilemma, da Kinder mit Erwerbsproblemen der Zweitsprache mit sprachentwicklungsgestörten Kindern (engl. Specific language impairment [SLI]) verwechselt werden können. Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund können linguistische Profile aufweisen, die oberflächlich an Kinder mit Sprachentwicklungsstörung erinnern. Der vorliegende Übersichtsartikel stellt ein selektives Review der relevanten Literatur dar und bietet Vorschläge für den Umgang mit den entsprechenden Herausforderungen. Es wird davon ausgegangen, dass die Prävalenz für die Sprachentwicklungsstörung bei mehrsprachig aufwachsenden Kindern nicht höher ist als bei einsprachig aufwachsenden Kindern und mehrsprachig aufwachsende Kinder ebenfalls subtile kognitive Schwächen zeigen können. Die Bedeutung von Sprachentwicklungsstörungen bei psychiatrisch erkrankten einsprachig und mehrsprachig aufwachsenden Kindern ist hinreichend belegt und muss bei der umfassenden Diagnostik mitbedacht werden. Eine essenzielle Maßnahme für jene Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund, die größere Probleme beim Erwerb der Zweitsprache haben, ist eine Sprachdiagnostik in der jeweiligen Muttersprache.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Eisenwort
- Universitätsklinik für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde, Medizinische Universität, Wien
| | - Anna Felnhofer
- Universitätsklinik für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde, Medizinische Universität, Wien
| | - Claudia Klier
- Universitätsklinik für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde, Medizinische Universität, Wien
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Scherger AL. German dative case marking in monolingual and simultaneous bilingual children with and without SLI. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2018; 75:87-101. [PMID: 30031237 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study explores the role of German dative case marking in disentangling effects of specific language impairment (SLI) and bilingualism. Longitudinal data of German-Italian bilingual children with SLI (N = 3) is compared to cross-sectional data (N = 42) of monolingual and bilingual typically developing (TD) children and monolingual children with SLI (ages four and seven). Spontaneous and elicited speech data is analysed in terms of target-like dative case marking in German. Results show differences between the acquisition of case marking of pronouns and of full Determiner Phrases (DPs). Regarding the target-like dative case marking in total, there were no differences found between bilingual TD, monolingual and bilingual children with SLI by the age of four. They demonstrated a similar delay when compared to monolingual TD children. By the age of seven, however, bilingual TD children 'catch up' with their monolingual peers. Children with SLI do not master the acquisition of dative case marking by this age. Cumulative effects of bilingualism and SLI were not found neither in younger nor in older bilingual children. These findings underline the importance of further research on linguistic markers and of distinguishing between effects of SLI and bilingualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lena Scherger
- Universität Hildesheim, Institut für deutsche Sprache und Literatur, Universitätsplatz 1, 31141 Hildesheim, Germany.
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Tuller L, Hamann C, Chilla S, Ferré S, Morin E, Prevost P, Dos Santos C, Abed Ibrahim L, Zebib R. Identifying language impairment in bilingual children in France and in Germany. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2018; 53:888-904. [PMID: 29790243 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The detection of specific language impairment (SLI) in children growing up bilingually presents particular challenges for clinicians. Non-word repetition (NWR) and sentence repetition (SR) tasks have proven to be the most accurate diagnostic tools for monolingual populations, raising the question of the extent of their usefulness in different bilingual populations. AIMS To determine the diagnostic accuracy of NWR and SR tasks that incorporate phonological/syntactic complexity as discussed in recent linguistic theory. The tasks were developed as part of the Language Impairment Testing in Multilingual Settings (LITMUS) toolkit, in two different national settings, France and Germany, and investigated children with three different home languages: Arabic, Portuguese and Turkish. METHODS & PROCEDURES NWR and SR tasks developed in parallel were administered to 151 bilingual children, aged 5;6-8;11, in France and in Germany, to 64 children in speech-language therapy (SLT) and to 87 children not in SLT, whose first language (L1) was Arabic, Portuguese or Turkish. Children were also administered standardized language tests in each of their languages to determine likely clinical status (typical development (TD) or SLI), and parents responded to a questionnaire including questions about early and current language use (bilingualism factors) and early language development (risk factors for SLI). Monolingual controls included 47 TD children and 29 children with SLI. Results were subjected to inter-group comparisons, to diagnostic accuracy calculation, and to correlation and multiple regression analyses. OUTCOMES & RESULTS In accordance with previous studies, NWR and SR identified SLI in the monolingual children, yielding good to excellent diagnostic accuracy. Diagnostic accuracy in bilingual children was fair to good, generally distinguishing children likely to have SLI from children likely to have TD. Accuracy was necessarily linked to the determination of clinical status, which was based on standardized assessment in each of the child's languages. Positive early development, a composite risk factor for SLI, and not variables related to language exposure and use, generally emerged as the strongest predictor of performance on the two tasks, constituting additional, independent support for the efficacy of NWR and SR in identifying impairment in bilingual children. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS NWR and SR tasks informed by linguistic theory are appropriate for use as part of the diagnostic process for identifying language impairment in bilingual children for whom the language of assessment is different from the home language, in diverse sociolinguistic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurice Tuller
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France
| | | | | | - Sandrine Ferré
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France
| | - Eléonore Morin
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France
| | | | | | | | - Racha Zebib
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France
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Taliancich-Klinger CL, Bedore LM, Peña ED. Preposition accuracy on a sentence repetition task in school age Spanish-English bilinguals. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2018; 45:97-119. [PMID: 28506324 PMCID: PMC5902173 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000917000125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Preposition knowledge is important for academic success. The goal of this project was to examine how different variables such as English input and output, Spanish preposition score, mother education level, and age of English exposure (AoEE) may have played a role in children's preposition knowledge in English. 148 Spanish-English children between 7;0 and 9;11 produced prepositions in English and Spanish on a sentence repetition task from an experimental version of the Bilingual English Spanish Assessment Middle Extension (Peña, Bedore, Gutierrez-Clellen, Iglesias & Goldstein, in development). English input and output accounted for most of the variance in English preposition score. The importance of language-specific experiences in the development of prepositions is discussed. Competition for selection of appropriate prepositions in English and Spanish is discussed as potentially influencing low overall preposition scores in English and Spanish.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa M Bedore
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders,The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Elizabeth D Peña
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders,The University of Texas at Austin
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Higgins MC, Penney SB, Robertson EK. The Effects of Phonological Short-Term Memory and Speech Perception on Spoken Sentence Comprehension in Children: Simulating Deficits in an Experimental Design. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2017; 46:1213-1235. [PMID: 28447226 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-017-9490-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The roles of phonological short-term memory (pSTM) and speech perception in spoken sentence comprehension were examined in an experimental design. Deficits in pSTM and speech perception were simulated through task demands while typically-developing children (N [Formula: see text] 71) completed a sentence-picture matching task. Children performed the control, simulated pSTM deficit, simulated speech perception deficit, or simulated double deficit condition. On long sentences, the double deficit group had lower scores than the control and speech perception deficit groups, and the pSTM deficit group had lower scores than the control group and marginally lower scores than the speech perception deficit group. The pSTM and speech perception groups performed similarly to groups with real deficits in these areas, who completed the control condition. Overall, scores were lowest on noncanonical long sentences. Results show pSTM has a greater effect than speech perception on sentence comprehension, at least in the tasks employed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan C Higgins
- Department of Psychology, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, NS, BIP 6L2, Canada
- Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention Program, Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres, Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, Sydney, NS, Canada
| | - Sarah B Penney
- Department of Psychology, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, NS, BIP 6L2, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - Erin K Robertson
- Department of Psychology, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, NS, BIP 6L2, Canada.
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Haman E, Wodniecka Z, Marecka M, Szewczyk J, Białecka-Pikul M, Otwinowska A, Mieszkowska K, Łuniewska M, Kołak J, Miękisz A, Kacprzak A, Banasik N, Foryś-Nogala M. How Does L1 and L2 Exposure Impact L1 Performance in Bilingual Children? Evidence from Polish-English Migrants to the United Kingdom. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1444. [PMID: 28928681 PMCID: PMC5591580 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Most studies on bilingual language development focus on children's second language (L2). Here, we investigated first language (L1) development of Polish-English early migrant bilinguals in four domains: vocabulary, grammar, phonological processing, and discourse. We first compared Polish language skills between bilinguals and their Polish non-migrant monolingual peers, and then investigated the influence of the cumulative exposure to L1 and L2 on bilinguals' performance. We then examined whether high exposure to L1 could possibly minimize the gap between monolinguals and bilinguals. We analyzed data from 233 typically developing children (88 bilingual and 145 monolingual) aged 4;0 to 7;5 (years;months) on six language measures in Polish: receptive vocabulary, productive vocabulary, receptive grammar, productive grammar (sentence repetition), phonological processing (non-word repetition), and discourse abilities (narration). Information about language exposure was obtained via parental questionnaires. For each language task, we analyzed the data from the subsample of bilinguals who had completed all the tasks in question and from monolinguals matched one-on-one to the bilingual group on age, SES (measured by years of mother's education), gender, non-verbal IQ, and short-term memory. The bilingual children scored lower than monolinguals in all language domains, except discourse. The group differences were more pronounced on the productive tasks (vocabulary, grammar, and phonological processing) and moderate on the receptive tasks (vocabulary and grammar). L1 exposure correlated positively with the vocabulary size and phonological processing. Grammar scores were not related to the levels of L1 exposure, but were predicted by general cognitive abilities. L2 exposure negatively influenced productive grammar in L1, suggesting possible L2 transfer effects on L1 grammatical performance. Children's narrative skills benefitted from exposure to two languages: both L1 and L2 exposure influenced story structure scores in L1. Importantly, we did not find any evidence (in any of the tasks in which the gap was present) that the performance gap between monolinguals and bilinguals could be fully closed with high amounts of L1 input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Haman
- Psycholinguistics Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Zofia Wodniecka
- Psychology of Language and Bilingualism Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian UniversityKrakow, Poland
| | - Marta Marecka
- Psychology of Language and Bilingualism Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian UniversityKrakow, Poland
| | - Jakub Szewczyk
- Psychology of Language and Bilingualism Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian UniversityKrakow, Poland
| | - Marta Białecka-Pikul
- Early Child Development Psychology Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian UniversityKrakow, Poland
| | | | - Karolina Mieszkowska
- Psycholinguistics Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Łuniewska
- Psycholinguistics Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Kołak
- Psycholinguistics Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Aneta Miękisz
- Psycholinguistics Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kacprzak
- Psycholinguistics Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Banasik
- Psycholinguistics Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
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Meir N, Armon-Lotem S. Independent and Combined Effects of Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Bilingualism on Children's Vocabulary and Verbal Short-Term Memory. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1442. [PMID: 28890706 PMCID: PMC5575344 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study explores the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) and bilingualism on the linguistic skills and verbal short-term memory of preschool children. In previous studies comparing children of low and mid-high SES, the terms “a child with low-SES” and “a child speaking a minority language” are often interchangeable, not enabling differentiated evaluation of these two variables. The present study controls for this confluence by testing children born and residing in the same country and attending the same kindergartens, with all bilingual children speaking the same heritage language (HL-Russian). A total of 120 children (88 bilingual children: 44 with low SES; and 32 monolingual children: 16 with low SES) with typical language development, aged 5; 7–6; 7, were tested in the societal language (SL-Hebrew) on expressive vocabulary and three repetition tasks [forward digit span (FWD), nonword repetition (NWR), and sentence repetition (SRep)], which tap into verbal short-term memory. The results indicated that SES and bilingualism impact different child abilities. Bilingualism is associated with decreased vocabulary size and lower performance on verbal short-term memory tasks with higher linguistic load in the SL-Hebrew. The negative effect of bilingualism on verbal short-term memory disappears once vocabulary is accounted for. SES influences not only linguistic performance, but also verbal short-term memory with lowest linguistic load. The negative effect of SES cannot be solely attributed to lower vocabulary scores, suggesting that an unprivileged background has a negative impact on children’s cognitive development beyond a linguistic disadvantage. The results have important clinical implications and call for more research exploring the varied impact of language and life experience on children’s linguistic and cognitive skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Meir
- Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat Gan, Israel
| | - Sharon Armon-Lotem
- Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat Gan, Israel.,Gonda Multidiciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan UniversityRamat Gan, Israel
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Whiteside KE, Norbury CF. The Persistence and Functional Impact of English Language Difficulties Experienced by Children Learning English as an Additional Language and Monolingual Peers. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2017; 60:2014-2030. [PMID: 28617919 PMCID: PMC5831091 DOI: 10.1044/2017_jslhr-l-16-0318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Purpose This study explored whether a monolingual-normed English language battery could identify children with English as an additional language (EAL) who have persistent English language learning difficulties that affect functional academic attainment. Method Children with EAL (n = 43) and monolingual English-speaking children (n = 46) completed a comprehensive monolingual-normed English language battery in Year 1 (ages 5-6 years) and Year 3 (ages 7-8 years). Children with EAL and monolingual peers, who either met monolingual criteria for language impairment or typical development on the language battery in Year 1, were compared on language growth between Year 1 and Year 3 and on attainment in national curriculum assessments in Year 2 (ages 6-7 years). Results Children with EAL and monolingual peers who met monolingual criteria for language impairment in Year 1 continued to display comparably impaired overall language ability 2 years later in Year 3. Moreover, these groups displayed comparably low levels of academic attainment in Year 2, demonstrating comparable functional impact of their language difficulties. Conclusion Monolingual-normed language batteries in the majority language may have some practical value for identifying bilingual children who need support with language learning, regardless of the origin of their language difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Courtenay Frazier Norbury
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, UKDivision of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, UK
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Boerma T, Blom E. Assessment of bilingual children: What if testing both languages is not possible? JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2017; 66:65-76. [PMID: 28448800 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Language delays of bilingual children can arise from language impairment (LI) but also from insufficient exposure to the target language. A reliable diagnosis of LI in bilingual children is therefore ideally based on the evaluation of both languages, as LI affects each language that is learned. However, due to the multitude of language combinations that are encountered in clinical practice, this is often not feasible. Bilingual norm-referencing may offer a solution, but the heterogeneity within the bilingual population makes it difficult to determine appropriate standards for every child. The present study examined an alternative approach to assessing both languages or using bilingual norm-referencing, aiming to assemble instruments that reduce bias against bilingual children. We used a four-group design, including monolingual and bilingual children with and without LI (N=132), to first investigate the effects of LI and bilingualism on risks associated with a child's early language development and the prevalence of language problems in the family, as reported by parents. Second, we evaluated the diagnostic validity of these two indices, and, in addition, combined these with two unbiased language measures which we previously examined in isolation: a quasi-universal nonword repetition task and a narrative task. Results showed that the index of Early Language Development was a strong predictor of LI. In combination with the two direct language measures, it excellently identified the presence or absence of LI in and across monolingual and bilingual learning contexts. LEARNING OUTCOMES As a result of this study, the reader will learn about an alternative approach to testing a bilingual child in both languages. The reader will recognize the importance of using unbiased measures for the identification of LI in a bilingual context, and, in addition, will appreciate the value of combining parental report with direct language measures.
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Armon-Lotem S, Meir N. Diagnostic accuracy of repetition tasks for the identification of specific language impairment (SLI) in bilingual children: evidence from Russian and Hebrew. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2016; 51:715-731. [PMID: 26990037 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research demonstrates that repetition tasks are valuable tools for diagnosing specific language impairment (SLI) in monolingual children in English and a variety of other languages, with non-word repetition (NWR) and sentence repetition (SRep) yielding high levels of sensitivity and specificity. Yet, only a few studies have addressed the diagnostic accuracy of repetition tasks in bilingual children, and most available research focuses on English-Spanish sequential bilinguals. AIMS To evaluate the efficacy of three repetition tasks (forward digit span (FWD), NWR and SRep) in order to distinguish mono- and bilingual children with and without SLI in Russian and Hebrew. METHODS & PROCEDURES A total of 230 mono- and bilingual children aged 5;5-6;8 participated in the study: 144 bilingual Russian-Hebrew-speaking children (27 with SLI); and 52 monolingual Hebrew-speaking children (14 with SLI) and 34 monolingual Russian-speaking children (14 with SLI). Parallel repetition tasks were designed in both Russian and Hebrew. Bilingual children were tested in both languages. OUTCOMES & RESULTS The findings confirmed that NWR and SRep are valuable tools in distinguishing monolingual children with and without SLI in Russian and Hebrew, while the results for FWD were mixed. Yet, testing of bilingual children with the same tools using monolingual cut-off points resulted in inadequate diagnostic accuracy. We demonstrate, however, that the use of bilingual cut-off points yielded acceptable levels of diagnostic accuracy. The combination of SRep tasks in L1/Russian and L2/Hebrew yielded the highest overall accuracy (i.e., 94%), but even SRep alone in L2/Hebrew showed excellent levels of sensitivity (i.e., 100%) and specificity (i.e., 89%), reaching 91% of total diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS The results are very promising for identifying SLI in bilingual children and for showing that testing in the majority language with bilingual cut-off points can provide an accurate classification.
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Uljarević M, Katsos N, Hudry K, Gibson JL. Practitioner Review: Multilingualism and neurodevelopmental disorders - an overview of recent research and discussion of clinical implications. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2016; 57:1205-1217. [PMID: 27443172 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Language and communication skills are essential aspects of child development, which are often disrupted in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Cutting edge research in psycholinguistics suggests that multilingualism has potential to influence social, linguistic and cognitive development. Thus, multilingualism has implications for clinical assessment, diagnostic formulation, intervention and support offered to families. We present a systematic review and synthesis of the effects of multilingualism for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and discuss clinical implications. METHODS We conducted systematic searches for studies on multilingualism in neurodevelopmental disorders. Keywords for neurodevelopmental disorders were based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition categories as follows; Intellectual Disabilities, Communication Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Specific Learning Disorder, Motor Disorders, Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders. We included only studies based on empirical research and published in peer-reviewed journals. RESULTS Fifty studies met inclusion criteria. Thirty-eight studies explored multilingualism in Communication Disorders, 10 in ASD and two in Intellectual Disability. No studies on multilingualism in Specific Learning Disorder or Motor Disorders were identified. Studies which found a disadvantage for multilingual children with neurodevelopmental disorders were rare, and there appears little reason to assume that multilingualism has negative effects on various aspects of functioning across a range of conditions. In fact, when considering only those studies which have compared a multilingual group with developmental disorders to a monolingual group with similar disorders, the findings consistently show no adverse effects on language development or other aspects of functioning. In the case of ASD, a positive effect on communication and social functioning has been observed. CONCLUSIONS There is little evidence to support the widely held view that multilingual exposure is detrimental to the linguistic or social development of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, we also note that the available pool of studies is small and the number of methodologically high quality studies is relatively low. We discuss implications of multilingualism for clinical management of neurodevelopmental disorders, and discuss possible directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Uljarević
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia. .,Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
| | - Napoleon Katsos
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kristelle Hudry
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Jenny L Gibson
- The Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Park H, Schwarz I. The influence of language proficiency on language-based processing skills: evidence from Korean–English bilingual children. SPEECH, LANGUAGE AND HEARING 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/2050571x.2016.1169623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Duncan TS, Paradis J. English Language Learners' Nonword Repetition Performance: The Influence of Age, L2 Vocabulary Size, Length of L2 Exposure, and L1 Phonology. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2016; 59:39-48. [PMID: 26580298 DOI: 10.1044/2015_jslhr-l-14-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/14/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examined individual differences in English language learners' (ELLs) nonword repetition (NWR) accuracy, focusing on the effects of age, English vocabulary size, length of exposure to English, and first-language (L1) phonology. METHOD Participants were 75 typically developing ELLs (mean age 5;8 [years;months]) whose exposure to English began on average at age 4;4. Children spoke either a Chinese language or South Asian language as an L1 and were given English standardized tests for NWR and receptive vocabulary. RESULTS Although the majority of ELLs scored within or above the monolingual normal range (71%), 29% scored below. Mixed logistic regression modeling revealed that a larger English vocabulary, longer English exposure, South Asian L1, and older age all had significant and positive effects on ELLs' NWR accuracy. Error analyses revealed the following L1 effect: onset consonants were produced more accurately than codas overall, but this effect was stronger for the Chinese group whose L1s have a more limited coda inventory compared with English. CONCLUSION ELLs' NWR performance is influenced by a number of factors. Consideration of these factors is important in deciding whether monolingual norm referencing is appropriate for ELL children.
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Paradis J. The Development of English as a Second Language With and Without Specific Language Impairment: Clinical Implications. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2016; 59:171-182. [PMID: 26501845 DOI: 10.1044/2015_jslhr-l-15-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this research forum article is to provide an overview of typical and atypical development of English as a second language (L2) and to present strategies for clinical assessment with English language learners (ELLs). METHOD A review of studies examining the lexical, morphological, narrative, and verbal memory abilities of ELLs is organized around 3 topics: timeframe and characteristics of typical English L2 development, comparison of the English L2 development of children with and without specific language impairment (SLI), and strategies for more effective assessment with ELLs. RESULTS ELLs take longer than 3 years to converge on monolingual norms and approach monolingual norms asynchronously across linguistic subdomains. Individual variation is predicted by age, first language, language learning aptitude, length of exposure to English in school, maternal education, and richness of the English environment outside school. ELLs with SLI acquire English more slowly than ELLs with typical development; their morphological and nonword repetition abilities differentiate them the most. Use of strategies such as parent questionnaires on first language development and ELL norm referencing can result in accurate discrimination of ELLs with SLI. CONCLUSIONS Variability in the language abilities of ELLs presents challenges for clinical practice. Increased knowledge of English language learning development with and without SLI together with evidence-based alternative assessment strategies can assist in overcoming these challenges.
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Boerma T, Chiat S, Leseman P, Timmermeister M, Wijnen F, Blom E. A Quasi-Universal Nonword Repetition Task as a Diagnostic Tool for Bilingual Children Learning Dutch as a Second Language. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2015; 58:1747-60. [PMID: 26444988 DOI: 10.1044/2015_jslhr-l-15-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study evaluated a newly developed quasi-universal nonword repetition task (Q-U NWRT) as a diagnostic tool for bilingual children with language impairment (LI) who have Dutch as a 2nd language. The Q-U NWRT was designed to be minimally influenced by knowledge of 1 specific language in contrast to a language-specific NWRT with which it was compared. METHOD One hundred twenty monolingual and bilingual children with and without LI participated (30 per group). A mixed-design analysis of variance was used to investigate the effects of LI and bilingualism on the NWRTs. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were conducted to evaluate the instruments' diagnostic value. RESULTS Large negative effects of LI were found on both NWRTs, whereas negative effects of bilingualism only occurred on the language-specific NWRT. Both instruments had high clinical accuracy in the monolingual group, but only the Q-U NWRT had high clinical accuracy in the bilingual group. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that the Q-U NWRT is a promising diagnostic tool to help identify LI in bilingual children learning Dutch as a 2nd language. The instrument was clinically accurate in both a monolingual and bilingual group of children and seems better able to disentangle LI from language disadvantage than more language-specific measures.
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Rogers CR, Nulty KL, Betancourt MA, DeThorne LS. Causal effects on child language development: A review of studies in communication sciences and disorders. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2015; 57:3-15. [PMID: 26255254 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2015.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED We reviewed recent studies published across key journals within the field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD) to survey what causal influences on child language development were being considered. Specifically, we reviewed a total of 2921 abstracts published within the following journals between 2003 and 2013: Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools (LSHSS); American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (AJSLP); Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (JSLHR); Journal of Communication Disorders (JCD); and the International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders (IJLCD). Of the 346 eligible articles that addressed causal factors on child language development across the five journals, 11% were categorized as Genetic (37/346), 83% (287/346) were categorized as Environmental, and 6% (22/346) were categorized as Mixed. The bulk of studies addressing environmental influences focused on therapist intervention (154/296=52%), family/caregiver linguistic input (65/296=22%), or family/caregiver qualities (39/296=13%). A more in-depth review of all eligible studies published in 2013 (n=34) revealed that family/caregiver qualities served as the most commonly controlled environmental factor (e.g., SES) and only 3 studies explicitly noted the possibility of gene-environment interplay. This review highlighted the need to expand the research base for the field of CSD to include a broader range of environmental influences on child language development (e.g., diet, toxin exposure, stress) and to consider more directly the complex and dynamic interplay between genetic and environmental effects. LEARNING OUTCOMES Readers will be able to highlight causal factors on child language development that have been studied over the past decade in CSD and recognize additional influences worthy of consideration. In addition, readers will become familiar with basic tenets of developmental systems theory, including the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors that shapes child development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare R Rogers
- Department of Speech & Hearing Science, University of Illinois, 901 S. Sixth Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States.
| | - Karissa L Nulty
- School of Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of Illinois, 393 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Mariana Aparicio Betancourt
- Department of Speech & Hearing Science, University of Illinois, 901 S. Sixth Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States; Neuroscience Program, Beckman Institute, 405 N. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Laura S DeThorne
- Department of Speech & Hearing Science, University of Illinois, 901 S. Sixth Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States
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Gibson TA, Summers C, Peña ED, Bedore LM, Gillam RB, Bohman TM. The role of phonological structure and experience in bilingual children's nonword repetition performance. BILINGUALISM (CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND) 2015; 18:551-560. [PMID: 36157200 PMCID: PMC9495270 DOI: 10.1017/s1366728914000248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The current study examined the influence of phonological structure and language experience on the nonword repetition performance of bilingual children. Twenty-six Spanish-dominant and 26 English-dominant Spanish-English bilingual five-year-old children were matched on current exposure to the dominant language and year of first exposure to English. Participants repeated non-wordlike nonwords in English and Spanish. The Spanish-dominant group performed better than the English-dominant group for both Spanish and English nonwords. In addition, there was a main effect for test language, where Spanish nonwords were produced more accurately than English nonwords overall. The Spanish-dominant group advantage for nonwords is interpreted as emerging from the extra practice the dominant Spanish speakers had producing multisyllabic words.
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Brandeker M, Thordardottir E. Language exposure in bilingual toddlers: performance on nonword repetition and lexical tasks. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2015; 24:126-138. [PMID: 25675009 DOI: 10.1044/2015_ajslp-13-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The amount of language exposure is correlated with bilingual lexical development, but findings are mixed on how exposure relates to nonword repetition (NWR), a complex skill involving both short-term processing and long-term vocabulary knowledge. We extend previous work to a younger age group by investigating the role of exposure on NWR versus vocabulary, along with the effect of item construction and scoring. METHOD Sixty typically developing children (ages 2;5-3;6[years;months]) were assessed for NWR and receptive and expressive vocabulary. Participants ranged in amount of previous exposure to English and French from 0% to 100% and were tested in both languages if able to participate, even with very limited exposure (28 completed testing in both languages, 11 completed testing in English only, 21 completed testing in French only). RESULTS Correlational analyses showed moderate to strong associations between the amount of exposure and vocabulary in that language, whereas the relationship of exposure with NWR was weak or nonsignificant, depending on scoring method. NWR correlated with vocabulary in English only. Performance on NWR was affected by nonword length but unaffected by wordlikeness. CONCLUSIONS NWR and vocabulary were differently related to language exposure. The underlying mechanisms of NWR at this age appeared mainly reliant on short-term processes, in contrast to long-term vocabulary knowledge.
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Thordardottir E, Cloutier G, Ménard S, Pelland-Blais E, Rvachew S. Monolingual or bilingual intervention for primary language impairment? A randomized control trial. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2015; 58:287-300. [PMID: 25381447 DOI: 10.1044/2014_jslhr-l-13-0277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated the clinical effectiveness of monolingual versus bilingual language intervention, the latter involving speech-language pathologist-parent collaboration. The study focuses on methods that are currently being recommended and that are feasible within current clinical contexts. METHOD Bilingual children with primary language impairment who speak a minority language as their home language and French as their second (n=29, mean age=5 years) were randomly assigned to monolingual treatment, bilingual treatment, and no-treatment (delayed-treatment) conditions. Sixteen sessions of individual language intervention were offered, targeting vocabulary and syntactic skills in French only or bilingually, through parent collaboration during the clinical sessions. Language evaluations were conducted before and after treatment by blinded examiners; these evaluations targeted French as well as the home languages. An additional evaluation was conducted 2 months after completion of treatment to assess maintenance of gains. Both monolingual and bilingual treatment followed a focused stimulation approach. RESULTS Results in French showed a significant treatment effect for vocabulary but no difference between treatment conditions. Gains were made in syntax, but these gains could not be attributed to treatment given that treatment groups did not improve more than the control group. Home language probes did not suggest that the therapy had resulted in gains in the home language. CONCLUSIONS The intervention used in this study is in line with current recommendations of major speech-language pathology organizations. However, the findings indicate that the bilingual treatment created through collaboration with parents was not effective in creating a sufficiently intense bilingual context to make it significantly different from the monolingual treatment. Further studies are needed to assess the gains associated with clinical modifications made for bilingual children and to search for effective ways to accommodate their unique needs.
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Thordardottir E. The relationship between bilingual exposure and morphosyntactic development. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2015; 17:97-114. [PMID: 25029077 DOI: 10.3109/17549507.2014.923509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The study examined the effect of bilingual input on the grammatical development of bilingual children in comparison to monolingual peers. METHOD Spontaneous language samples were collected in English and French from typically-developing bilingual and monolingual pre-schoolers aged 3 years (n = 56) and 5 years (n = 83). Within each age group, children varied in bilingual exposure patterns but were matched on age, non-verbal cognition, maternal education and language status, speaking two majority languages. Measures included mean length of utterance (MLU) in words and morphemes, and accuracy and diversity of morphological use. RESULT Grammatical development in each language was strongly influenced by amount of same-language experience. Children with equal exposure to both languages scored comparably to monolingual children in both languages, whereas children with unequal exposure evidenced similarly unequal performance across languages and scored significantly lower than monolinguals in their weaker language. Scoring significantly lower than monolinguals in both languages may, therefore, be a sign of language impairment. Each language followed a strongly language-specific sequence of acquisition and error patterns. Five-year-old children with low exposure to English displayed an optional infinitive pattern, a strong clinical marker for Primary Language Impairment in monolingual English-speaking children. CONCLUSION Descriptive normative data are presented that permit more accurate interpretation of bilingual assessment data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Thordardottir
- McGill University, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders , Montréal, Quebec , Canada
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MacLeod AAN, Fabiano-Smith L. The acquisition of allophones among bilingual Spanish-English and French-English 3-year-old children. CLINICAL LINGUISTICS & PHONETICS 2015; 29:167-184. [PMID: 25421431 DOI: 10.3109/02699206.2014.982768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Children are exposed to highly variable input from multiple sources within their speech community. This study examines the acquisition of allophones in Spanish and French by monolingual and bilingual children. We hypothesised that two factors would influence allophone acquisition: (1) the amount of exposure to phonological input, and (2) the degree of variability of the allophonic pattern. Thirty-four typically developing 3-year-old participated in the study. The analyses revealed that regardless of the language, the monolingual children produced similar error rates in the production of the target allophones. In contrast, the bilingual children produced different patterns of acquisition of the allophones: the Spanish-English bilinguals produced higher error rates than the monolinguals, whereas the French-English bilinguals produced lower error rates than the monolinguals. Possibilities for these differences are discussed within the context of structural complexity as well as in light of the effects of between-language interaction on bilingual phonological development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea A N MacLeod
- Faculté de Medicine, École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Université de Montréal , Québec , Canada and
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Polišenská K, Chiat S, Roy P. Sentence repetition: what does the task measure? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2015; 50:106-118. [PMID: 25208477 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sentence repetition is gaining increasing attention as a source of information about children's sentence-level abilities in clinical assessment, and as a clinical marker of specific language impairment. However, it is widely debated what the task is testing and therefore how informative it is. AIMS (1) To evaluate the effects of different types of long-term linguistic knowledge on immediate recall, (2) to assess age sensitivity of repetition tasks designed to evaluate these effects, and (3) to establish if the effects are similar across typologically different languages. The study also considers the implications of the findings for the use of sentence repetition as a research and clinical assessment tool. METHODS & PROCEDURES Participants were 50 English-speaking and 50 Czech-speaking typically developing 4-5-year-olds. Children's ability to recall sequences of items was compared in seven linguistic conditions ranging from fully well-formed sentences to sequences of non-words. In each condition, children repeated blocks of successively longer stimuli to establish their span. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Results showed significant but differential effects of all linguistic factors in both languages. While syntactic violations and presence of non-words dramatically reduced children's span, semantic implausibility and the removal of sentence prosody played a significant but much smaller role. Familiarity of function words was more important than familiarity of content words. The effects of different linguistic factors on spans were the same for both languages and did not change between 4 and 5 years, although average spans increased over this age range. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS Children's ability to repeat sentences is more dependent on their familiarity with morphosyntax and lexical phonology than semantics or prosody, with function words of particular importance. Findings have implications for the use of recall in clinical assessment and as a research tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Polišenská
- Language and Communication Science, City University London, London, UK; School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Peña ED, Gillam RB, Bedore LM. Dynamic assessment of narrative ability in English accurately identifies language impairment in English language learners. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2014; 57:2208-2220. [PMID: 25075793 DOI: 10.1044/2014_jslhr-l-13-0151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the identification accuracy of dynamic assessment (DA) of narrative ability in English for children learning English as a 2nd language. METHOD A DA task was administered to 54 children: 18 Spanish-English-speaking children with language impairment (LI); 18 age-, sex-, IQ- and language experience-matched typical control children; and an additional 18 age- and language experience-matched comparison children. A variety of quantitative and qualitative measures were collected in the pretest phase, the mediation phase, and the posttest phase of the study. Exploratory discriminant analysis was used to determine the set of measures that best differentiated among this group of children with and without LI. RESULTS A combination of examiner ratings of modifiability (compliance, metacognition, and task orientation), DA story scores (setting, dialogue, and complexity of vocabulary), and ungrammaticality (derived from the posttest narrative sample) classified children with 80.6% to 97.2% accuracy. CONCLUSION DA conducted in English provides a systematic means for measuring learning processes and learning outcomes, resulting in a clinically useful procedure for identifying LIs in bilingual children who are in the process of learning English as a second language.
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Leclercq AL, Quémart P, Magis D, Maillart C. The sentence repetition task: a powerful diagnostic tool for French children with specific language impairment. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2014; 35:3423-3430. [PMID: 25200677 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2014.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This study assesses the diagnostic accuracy and construct validity of a sentence repetition task that is commonly used for the identification of French children with specific language impairment (SLI). Thirty-four school-aged children with a confirmed, diagnostically based diagnosis of SLI, and 34 control children matched on age and nonverbal abilities performed the sentence repetition task. Two general scoring measures took into account the verbatim repetition of the sentence and the number of words accurately repeated. Moreover, five other scoring measures were applied to their answers in order to separately take into account their respect of lexical items, functional items, syntax, verb morphology, and the general meaning of the sentence. Results show good to high levels of sensitivity and specificity at the three cut-off points for all scoring measures. A principal component analysis revealed two factors. Scoring measures for the respect of functional words, syntax and verb morphology provided the largest loadings to the first factor, while scoring measures for the respect of lexical words and general semantics provided the largest loadings to the second factor. Sentence repetition appears to be a valuable tool to identify SLI in French children, and the ability to repeat sentences correctly is supported by two factors: a morphosyntactic factor and a lexical factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Lise Leclercq
- University of Liège, Department of Psychology: Cognition and Behaviour, Belgium.
| | - Pauline Quémart
- University of Poitiers and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
| | - David Magis
- University of Liège, Department of Education, Belgium
| | - Christelle Maillart
- University of Liège, Department of Psychology: Cognition and Behaviour, Belgium
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Ebert KD. Role of auditory non-verbal working memory in sentence repetition for bilingual children with primary language impairment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2014; 49:631-6. [PMID: 24894308 PMCID: PMC4458063 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sentence repetition performance is attracting increasing interest as a valuable clinical marker for primary (or specific) language impairment (LI) in both monolingual and bilingual populations. Multiple aspects of memory appear to contribute to sentence repetition performance, but non-verbal memory has not yet been considered. AIMS To explore the relationship between a measure of non-verbal auditory working memory (NVWM) and sentence repetition performance in a sample of bilingual children with LI. METHODS & PROCEDURES Forty-seven school-aged Spanish-English bilingual children with LI completed sentence repetition and non-word repetition tasks in both Spanish and English as well as an NVWM task. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to predict sentence repetition in each language using age, non-word repetition and NVWM. OUTCOMES & RESULTS NVWM predicted unique variance in sentence repetition performance in both languages after accounting for chronological age and language-specific phonological memory, as measured by non-word repetition. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS Domain-general memory resources play a unique role in sentence repetition performance in children with LI. Non-verbal working memory weaknesses may contribute to the poor performance of children with LI on sentence repetition tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry Danahy Ebert
- Rush University, Department of Communication Disorders & Sciences, Chicago, IL, USA
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Moyle MJ, Heilmann JJ, Finneran DA. The role of dialect density in nonword repetition performance: an examination with at-risk African American preschool children. CLINICAL LINGUISTICS & PHONETICS 2014; 28:682-696. [PMID: 24490787 DOI: 10.3109/02699206.2014.882990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The Nonword Repetition Task (NRT) is considered to be a less-biased language measure for children from cultural minority groups. In the current study, we examined NRT performance of 50 at-risk, preschool-age children who spoke African American English (AAE). In addition to the NRT, measures included AAE dialect density and several standardised language tests. The primary aim was to determine significant contributors to NRT performance. We hypothesised that the language measures would significantly contribute to NRT performance while dialect density would be an insignificant contributor. Contrary to our predictions, dialect density was a unique and significant predictor of NRT performance (in addition to phonological awareness), while the language measures were not significant predictors. The current findings cast doubt on categorising the NRT as a less-biased language assessment for AAE-speaking preschoolers; however, the NRT may have potential as a screener for identifying preschoolers at risk for delays in literacy acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Jones Moyle
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Marquette University , Milwaukee, WI , USA
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Aguilar-Mediavilla E, Buil-Legaz L, Pérez-Castelló JA, Rigo-Carratalà E, Adrover-Roig D. Early preschool processing abilities predict subsequent reading outcomes in bilingual Spanish-Catalan children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2014; 50:19-35. [PMID: 24767985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2014.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) have severe language difficulties without showing hearing impairments, cognitive deficits, neurological damage or socio-emotional deprivation. However, previous studies have shown that children with SLI show some cognitive and literacy problems. Our study analyses the relationship between preschool cognitive and linguistic abilities and the later development of reading abilities in Spanish-Catalan bilingual children with SLI. The sample consisted of 17 bilingual Spanish-Catalan children with SLI and 17 age-matched controls. We tested eight distinct processes related to phonological, attention, and language processing at the age of 6 years and reading at 8 years of age. Results show that bilingual Spanish-Catalan children with SLI show significantly lower scores, as compared to typically developing peers, in phonological awareness, phonological memory, and rapid automatized naming (RAN), together with a lower outcome in tasks measuring sentence repetition and verbal fluency. Regarding attentional processes, bilingual Spanish-Catalan children with SLI obtained lower scores in auditory attention, but not in visual attention. At the age of 8 years Spanish-Catalan children with SLI had lower scores than their age-matched controls in total reading score, letter identification (decoding), and in semantic task (comprehension). Regression analyses identified both phonological awareness and verbal fluency at the age of 6 years to be the best predictors of subsequent reading performance at the age of 8 years. Our data suggest that language acquisition problems and difficulties in reading acquisition in bilingual children with SLI might be related to the close interdependence between a limitation in cognitive processing and a deficit at the linguistic level. LEARNING OUTCOMES After reading this article, readers will be able to: identify their understanding of the relation between language difficulties and reading outcomes; explain how processing abilities influence reading performance in bilingual Spanish-Catalan children with SLI; and recognize the relation between language and reading via a developmental model in which the phonological system is considered central for the development of decoding abilities and comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Aguilar-Mediavilla
- University of the Balearic Islands, Ed. Beatriu de Pinós, Cra. Valldemossa, km. 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Lucía Buil-Legaz
- University of the Balearic Islands, Ed. Beatriu de Pinós, Cra. Valldemossa, km. 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Josep A Pérez-Castelló
- University of the Balearic Islands, Ed. Beatriu de Pinós, Cra. Valldemossa, km. 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Eduard Rigo-Carratalà
- University of the Balearic Islands, Ed. Beatriu de Pinós, Cra. Valldemossa, km. 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Daniel Adrover-Roig
- University of the Balearic Islands, Ed. Guillem Cifre de Colonya, Cra. Valldemossa, km. 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
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Topbaş S, Kaçar-Kütükçü D, Kopkalli-Yavuz H. Performance of children on the Turkish Nonword Repetition Test: Effect of word similarity, word length, and scoring. CLINICAL LINGUISTICS & PHONETICS 2014; 28:602-616. [PMID: 25000381 DOI: 10.3109/02699206.2014.927003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to report the preliminary results of the development of the Turkish Nonword Repetition Test and to contribute to the clinical accuracy of the test by comparing the performance of children with specific language impairment with that of language-level matched and age-matched typically developing children on a nonword repetition (NWR) test developed for Turkish. To determine the effect of word similarity and word length, the Turkish Nonword Repetition Test is composed of language-like and language-unlike items. To determine the effect of scoring, the performances of children were scored as correct/incorrect for a whole word, for only the consonants, and for only the vowels. The findings suggest that the test is a reliable tool to differentiate Turkish-speaking children with SLI from typically developing children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyhun Topbaş
- Department of Speech and Language Pathology, Anadolu University , Eskişehir , Turkey and
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Thordardottir E. The typical development of simultaneous bilinguals. INPUT AND EXPERIENCE IN BILINGUAL DEVELOPMENT 2014. [DOI: 10.1075/tilar.13.08tho] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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