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Early bilingualism: children of immigrants in an English-language childcare center

Psychology of language and communication, 2008-01, Vol.12 (1), p.3-27 [Peer Reviewed Journal]

Copyright Versita 2008 ;ISSN: 1234-2238 ;EISSN: 2083-8506 ;DOI: 10.2478/v10057-008-0001-2

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  • Title:
    Early bilingualism: children of immigrants in an English-language childcare center
  • Author: Chumak-Horbatsch, Roma
  • Subjects: active/ passive bilingualism ; children's dual language learning ; early bilingualism ; minority language ; parental language attitudes
  • Is Part Of: Psychology of language and communication, 2008-01, Vol.12 (1), p.3-27
  • Description: In this study, language views and home language practice of sixteen immigrant parents were documented and related to the dual language behaviors of their young children (ages 1:09 to 3;06) who were enrolled in a Toronto English-language childcare center. De Houwer's (1999) model of early bilingualism was applied to the minority language context and external factors were used to explain the short-lived active bilingualism of the younger children and the passive bilingualism of the preschoolers. Presenting mothers and fathers with separate questionnaires proved to be a valuable methodological tool, which revealed similar language thinking but different home language practice. Immigrant mothers were more committed to their children's L1 development than were fathers, a finding, which supports and extends the parental gender difference noted in earlier work (Gleason, 2005; Lyon, 1991; Lyon & Ellis, 1999). Negative effects of early L2 exposure on minority language children's incomplete L1, reported in earlier studies, were confirmed. A concrete outcome of the present study was the creation mylanguage.ca, a website intended to help immigrant parents understand their children's dual language learning. Even though the study presents a somewhat bleak picture of the continuation of L1, it concludes on an optimistic note, encouraging immigrant fathers to join forces with their L1-committed spouses and to help provide a nurturing L1 environment for their young children.
  • Publisher: Warsaw: Versita
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: ISSN: 1234-2238
    EISSN: 2083-8506
    DOI: 10.2478/v10057-008-0001-2
  • Source: ProQuest One Psychology
    Open Access: DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals
    Freely Accessible Journals
    AUTh Library subscriptions: ProQuest Central
    Alma/SFX Local Collection
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