Spanish-specific Patterns and Nonword Repetition Performance in English Language Learners

Spanish-specific Patterns and Nonword Repetition Performance in English Language Learners
Author: María R. Brea-Spahn
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2009
Genre:
ISBN:

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ABSTRACT: Nonword repetition tasks were originally devised to assess the efficiency of the phonological loop (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974), a component of the working memory system, where verbal information is temporarily stored and translated to support activities like phonological processing during early word-recognition (Snowling, 1981; Wagner et al., 2003), speech production (McCarthy & Warrington, 1984), and articulation (Watkins, Dronkers, & Vargha-Khadem, 2002; Yoss & Darley, 1974). From a practical perspective, there is a significant need for a systematically-designed Spanish nonword repetition measure that is equivalent to currently-available English measures. For this study, a database of nonwords that considered phonotactic and phonological properties of Spanish was devised. In a preliminary study, Spanish-speaking adults provided wordlikeness judgments about a large set of candidate nonwords. A subset of the rated nonwords was used in the development of a Spanish nonword repetition measure. The aim of the main experiment was to explore the contributions of participant factors (age, gender, and vocabulary knowledge) and item factors (word length, stress pattern, and wordlikeness) to Spanish repetition performance in this group of Spanish speaking, English language learning children. From a theoretical perspective, this investigation allowed a first observation of how experience with listening to and producing Spanish words influences the acquisition of Spanish-specific phonological patterns. A total of 68 children, ages four to six years with varying degrees of Spanish language knowledge participated in this study. Results revealed significant age and word length effects. However, stress pattern did not exert significant effects on repetition performance, which is not completely consistent with previous literature. That is, participants repeated nonwords from both the more frequent and the less frequent stress pattern with similar accuracy. Wordlikeness, a previously uninvestigated variable in nonword repetition was found to affect repetition accuracy. For all participants, nonwords rated as high in wordlikeness were more accurately repeated than were nonwords with low wordlikeness ratings. Findings of the study are discussed in terms of how they relate to working memory and usage-based models of phonological learning. Finally, the clinical relevance of nonword repetition in the assessment of coarse- and fine-grained mappings of phonological knowledge is suggested.

Child Bilingualism and Second Language Learning

Child Bilingualism and Second Language Learning
Author: Fangfang Li
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2020-11-15
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9027260443

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This book focuses exclusively on child bilinguals or children exposed to a second language in various learning contexts. Through the presentation of research on how children learn the sound systems or lexicon in two languages and via different routes, the book aims to paint a comprehensive picture of child bilingualism and second language learning. In addition, the book features contributions focused on theoretical overviews and methodological approaches. Researchers from diverse disciplines such as linguistics, psychology, and speech-language pathology contributed to the book that thus represents an effort to integrate multiple views and perspectives. The book is useful for researchers, clinicians, and educators who work with children acquiring or learning a second language in different settings. It should also be of interest to university students studying bilingualism and/or second language acquisition or parents raising bilingual children.

The Oxford Handbook of Laboratory Phonology

The Oxford Handbook of Laboratory Phonology
Author: Abigail C. Cohn
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 896
Release: 2011-12-08
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0191630489

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This book provides state-of-the-art coverage of research in laboratory phonology, an interdisciplinary research perspective which brings a wide range of experimental and analytic tools to bear on the central questions of how knowledge of spoken language is structured, learned, and used. The book presents works illustrating how laboratory phonology is practiced and highlights promising areas of current research. Contributions address how laboratory phonology approaches and methodologies have provided insight into human speech and sound structure. Part one introduces the history, nature, and aims of laboratory phonology. The remaining four parts cover central issues in research done within this perspective, as well as methodological resources used for investigating these issues. This Handbook, the first specifically dedicated to the laboratory phonology approach, builds on the foundation of knowledge amassed in linguistics, speech research and allied disciplines. With the varied interdisciplinary contributions collected, the Handbook showcases work in this vibrant field.

Bilingual Language Development & Disorders in Spanish-English Speakers

Bilingual Language Development & Disorders in Spanish-English Speakers
Author: Brian Goldstein
Publisher: Paul H Brookes Publishing
Total Pages:
Release: 2022
Genre: EDUCATION
ISBN: 9781681254005

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"This fully revised, comprehensive graduate-level text and reference offers the most current information on language development and disorders of Spanish-English bilingual children"--

Language and Literacy Development in Bilingual Settings

Language and Literacy Development in Bilingual Settings
Author: Aydin Yücesan Durgunoglu
Publisher: Guilford Press
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2011-03-14
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1606239554

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Grounded in state-of-the-art research, this book explores how English language learners develop both the oral language and literacy skills necessary for school success. Chapters examine the cognitive bases of English acquisition, and how the process is different for children from alphabetic (such as Spanish) and nonalphabetic (such as Chinese) language backgrounds. The book addresses a key challenge facing educators and clinicians: identifying students whose poor English skills may indicate an underlying impairment, as opposed to still-developing language proficiency. Implications for diagnosis, intervention, and instruction are highlighted throughout.

Working Memory in Spanish-English Bilinguals with Language Impairment

Working Memory in Spanish-English Bilinguals with Language Impairment
Author: Janet Calderón
Publisher:
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2003
Genre: Bilingualism in children
ISBN:

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The present research addresses two questions and goals. The first goal was to create and validate an alternative assessment tool for Spanish-speaking and Spanish-English bilingual children. In Experiment I we developed and selected the appropriate nonwords for the Spanish language. Experiment 2 compared Spanish nonword repetition performance for Spanish- and Spanish-English-speaking children with or without language impairment (LI). Numerous studies have documented that monolingual English-speaking children with LI differ from their peers on nonword repetition performance and have significantly more difficulty repeating three- and four-syllable nonwords. It was predicted that Spanish-speaking children with LI will have significantly more difficulty at Spanish nonword repetition performance, both in general and with the longer nonwords. The second research question examined the nature of language impairment in emerging bilingual populations. The various models of working memory (WM) differ in the explanations given for the underlying cause of the working memory deficits present in this population of children. A general limitation will cause the children with LI to perform significantly worse on all measures, while a specific limitation will produce errors specific to the verbal domain only. Both general processing and verbal processing measures were used to examine the nature of language impairment. It was predicted that the children with LI will demonstrate deficits on all measures, verbal and nonverbal, supporting the unitary claim that children with LI possess a general processing limitation. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the children with typical language development (TLD) performed significantly better than the group with LI on the Spanish Nonword Repetition task. The findings from Experiment 3 supported the unitary theory of WM; the combination of significant intercorrelations among the dependent variables, and the fact that the group with LI performed significantly worse on both the verbal and nonverbal measures provided evidence for a general working memory limitation. These children possess a working memory deficit--not a language impairment. The clinical implications of the experiments are exciting. The Spanish Nonword Repetition task has the potential of screening for WM deficits avoiding time consuming language sampling and transcriptions. Moreover, support for a general WM deficit has significant implications for therapy.

Assessing Multilingual Children

Assessing Multilingual Children
Author: Sharon Armon-Lotem
Publisher: Multilingual Matters
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2015-04-28
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1783093145

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Second language learners often produce language forms resembling those of children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). At present, professionals working in language assessment and education have only limited diagnostic instruments to distinguish language impaired migrant children from those who will eventually catch up with their monolingual peers. This book presents a comprehensive set of tools for assessing the linguistic abilities of bilingual children. It aims to disentangle effects of bilingualism from those of SLI, making use of both models of bilingualism and models of language impairment. The book’s methods-oriented focus will make it an essential handbook for practitioners who look for measures which could be adapted to a variety of languages in diverse communities, as well as academic researchers.

Language Acquisition in Diverse Linguistic, Social and Cognitive Circumstances

Language Acquisition in Diverse Linguistic, Social and Cognitive Circumstances
Author: Maria Garraffa
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2019-01-24
Genre:
ISBN: 2889456897

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The language experience of children developing in linguistically diverse environments is subject to considerable variation both in terms of quantity and quality of language exposure. It is an open question how to investigate language exposure patterns and more important which factors are relevant for successful language learning. For example, children acquiring a minority language, including a signed language, are exposed to less variety of input than children acquiring a more global language. This is because they are living in a smaller linguistic community and with fewer occasions to use the language in everyday life. Despite this reduced input, most native signers are successful language learners. In contrast native language competence is not always achieved in signing deaf children with hearing parents or those with cochlear implants learning a spoken language. A similar outcome but with very different reasons has also been reported for hearing children with language impairment. In these populations acquisition of morphosyntactic aspects is developing atypically ending with an uncomplete linguistic repertoire. The circumstances of exposure during language development tend to differ in significant ways with respect to a large number of factors, such as, (i) length, quality and quantity of input, (ii) social status and attitudes toward the language, (iii) cognitive abilities required for language learning, and (iv) age of first exposure. Having early exposure to a range of different speakers is important in the acquisition of any language and may affect language proficiency. However, negative societal attitudes or a cognitive based disadvantage may create an unfavourable learning environment that prevents language learning from surfacing typically. This situation inevitably generates a different type of exposure for the child and consequently different language competence. In this Research Topic we intend to encourage the debate on social, linguistic and cognitive factors at play for designing an effective environment for language acquisition aiming at integrating linguistic variables coming from theoretical studies on language with environmental variables, such as, measures of language input or cognitive abilities on functions ancillary to language development.