Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
Previous studies have found that bilingual children’s vocabulary development
benefits more from child-directed speech from native speakers than child-directed speech
from nonnative speakers. The current study compared the native English child-directed
speech of 20 English monolingual mothers, the nonnative English child-directed speech
of 20 Spanish-English bilingual mothers, and the native Spanish child-directed speech of
the same bilingual mothers in terms of three aspects of input previously associated with
children’s language development: data-providing properties, topic contingency, and
speech function. There were significant differences between native English and nonnative
English child-directed speech, and between nonnative English and native Spanish. The
results suggest two sources of influence shaping child-directed speech: quality
differences related to native speaker status and cultural factors primed by the language
being spoken.
benefits more from child-directed speech from native speakers than child-directed speech
from nonnative speakers. The current study compared the native English child-directed
speech of 20 English monolingual mothers, the nonnative English child-directed speech
of 20 Spanish-English bilingual mothers, and the native Spanish child-directed speech of
the same bilingual mothers in terms of three aspects of input previously associated with
children’s language development: data-providing properties, topic contingency, and
speech function. There were significant differences between native English and nonnative
English child-directed speech, and between nonnative English and native Spanish. The
results suggest two sources of influence shaping child-directed speech: quality
differences related to native speaker status and cultural factors primed by the language
being spoken.
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