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Seminars in Speech and Language Nov 2013Language skills in young bilingual children are highly varied as a result of the variability in their language experiences, making it difficult for speech-language... (Review)
Review
Language skills in young bilingual children are highly varied as a result of the variability in their language experiences, making it difficult for speech-language pathologists to differentiate language disorder from language difference in bilingual children. Understanding the sources of variability in bilingual contexts and the resulting variability in children's skills will help improve language assessment practices by speech-language pathologists. In this article, we review literature on bilingual first language development for children under 5 years of age. We describe the rate of development in single and total language growth, we describe effects of quantity of input and quality of input on growth, and we describe effects of family composition on language input and language growth in bilingual children. We provide recommendations for language assessment of young bilingual children and consider implications for optimizing children's dual language development.
Topics: Child; Child Language; Child, Preschool; Education, Continuing; Humans; Language Development; Language Tests; Multilingualism
PubMed: 24297614
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1353448 -
Neural Plasticity 2019Predicting language performances after preterm birth is challenging. It is described in the literature that early exposure to the extrauterine environment can be either... (Review)
Review
Predicting language performances after preterm birth is challenging. It is described in the literature that early exposure to the extrauterine environment can be either detrimental or advantageous for neurodevelopment. However, the emphasis mostly lies on the fact that preterm birth may have an unfavorable effect on numerous aspects of development such as cognition, language, and behavior. Various studies reported atypical language development in preterm born children in the preschool years but also in school-aged children and adolescents. This review gives an overview of the course of language development and examines how prematurity can lead to atypical linguistic performances. In this paper, we mainly focus on environmental and neurophysiological factors influencing preterm infant neuroplasticity with potential short- and long-term effects on language development. Further research, however, should focus on examining the possible benefits that early exposure might entail.
Topics: Child Development; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Language; Language Development; Male; Neuronal Plasticity
PubMed: 30930944
DOI: 10.1155/2019/6873270 -
Annual Review of Psychology Jan 2018Perception involves making sense of a dynamic, multimodal environment. In the absence of mechanisms capable of exploiting the statistical patterns in the natural world,... (Review)
Review
Perception involves making sense of a dynamic, multimodal environment. In the absence of mechanisms capable of exploiting the statistical patterns in the natural world, infants would face an insurmountable computational problem. Infant statistical learning mechanisms facilitate the detection of structure. These abilities allow the infant to compute across elements in their environmental input, extracting patterns for further processing and subsequent learning. In this selective review, we summarize findings that show that statistical learning is both a broad and flexible mechanism (supporting learning from different modalities across many different content areas) and input specific (shifting computations depending on the type of input and goal of learning). We suggest that statistical learning not only provides a framework for studying language development and object knowledge in constrained laboratory settings, but also allows researchers to tackle real-world problems, such as multilingualism, the role of ever-changing learning environments, and differential developmental trajectories.
Topics: Child Development; Humans; Infant; Language; Language Development; Probability Learning; Speech Perception
PubMed: 28793812
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011805 -
Annual Review of Psychology Jan 2018Human language, a signature of our species, derives its power from its links to human cognition. For centuries, scholars have been captivated by this link between... (Review)
Review
Human language, a signature of our species, derives its power from its links to human cognition. For centuries, scholars have been captivated by this link between language and cognition. In this article, we shift this focus. Adopting a developmental lens, we review recent evidence that sheds light on the origin and developmental unfolding of the link between language and cognition in the first year of life. This evidence, which reveals the joint contributions of infants' innate capacities and their sensitivity to experience, highlights how a precocious link between language and cognition advances infants beyond their initial perceptual and conceptual capacities. The evidence also identifies the conceptual advantages this link brings to human infants. By tracing the emergence of a language-cognition link in infancy, this article reveals a dynamic developmental cascade in infants' first year, with each developmental advance providing a foundation for subsequent advances.
Topics: Child Development; Cognition; Humans; Infant; Language; Language Development
PubMed: 28877000
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011701 -
Journal of Communication Disorders 2015The goal of this review is to summarize the evidence that prenatal and/or early postnatal exposure to certain chemicals, both manmade (insulating materials, flame... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
The goal of this review is to summarize the evidence that prenatal and/or early postnatal exposure to certain chemicals, both manmade (insulating materials, flame retardants, pesticides) and naturally occurring (e.g., lead, mercury), may be associated with delays or impairments in language development. We focus primarily on a subset of more extensively studied chemicals-polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and methyl mercury-for which a reasonable body of literature on neurodevelopmental outcomes is available. We also briefly summarize the smaller body of evidence for other chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) and organophosphate pesticides. Very few studies have used specific assessments of language development and function. Therefore, we included discussion of aspects of cognitive development such as overall intellectual functioning and verbal abilities that rely on language, as well as aspects of cognition such as verbal and auditory working memory that are critical underpinnings of language development. A high percentage of prospective birth cohort studies of PCBs, lead, and mercury have reported exposure-related reductions in overall IQ and/or verbal IQ that persist into middle or late childhood. Given these findings, it is important that clinicians and researchers in communication sciences and disorders are aware of the potential for environmental chemicals to impact language development.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The goal of this review is to summarize the evidence that prenatal and/or early postnatal exposure to certain chemicals may be associated with delays or impairments in language development. Readers will gain an understanding of the literature suggesting that early exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and mercury may be associated with decrements in cognitive domains that depend on language or are critical for language development. We also briefly summarize the smaller body of evidence regarding polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) and organophosphate pesticides. Very few studies of exposure to these chemicals have used specific assessments of language development; thus, further investigation is needed before changes in clinical practice can be suggested.
Topics: Age Factors; Child; Child Language; Child, Preschool; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Language Development; Language Development Disorders; Lead Poisoning; Mercury Poisoning; Polychlorinated Biphenyls
PubMed: 26255253
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2015.07.002 -
Journal of Child Language Jul 2023Paradis' keynote article provides a comprehensive overview of factors influencing bilingual children's dual language abilities. It includes the 'usual suspects', such as... (Review)
Review
Paradis' keynote article provides a comprehensive overview of factors influencing bilingual children's dual language abilities. It includes the 'usual suspects', such as input quantity, and also highlights areas requiring further investigation, such as cognitive abilities. As such, it will no doubt serve as a valuable basis for the field as we move forward. Paradis quite rightly points out that whilst some of these factors may be unidirectionally related to language abilities, suggesting causality, for many others such relations are bi- or multidirectional and as such, caution is required in interpreting them. In order to pinpoint the nature and direction of these relations (currently absent from Figure 1 in the keynote), more complex analytic techniques are needed, as Paradis herself notes: "The relations among attitudes/identity, input and interaction, and perhaps social adjustment and wellbeing, are likely to be complex; therefore, more complex analytic techniques are needed to understand the path(s) between family attitudes about the HL on one hand, and children's HL outcomes on the other." (Paradis, 2023: 19). In this commentary, we provide an illustration of how the complex relationships between the variables discussed in Paradis's keynote article could be conceptualised within a causal inference approach. We offer a modest starting point by summarising key features of causal inference modelling and by illustrating how it might help us better understand what causes what.
Topics: Child; Humans; Multilingualism; Language Development; Cognition; Causality
PubMed: 36999749
DOI: 10.1017/S0305000923000107 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... Mar 2022The current study examined language control and code-switching in bilingual children with developmental language disorder (DLD) compared to bilingual peers with typical...
PURPOSE
The current study examined language control and code-switching in bilingual children with developmental language disorder (DLD) compared to bilingual peers with typical language development (TLD). In addition, proficiency in each language and cognitive control skills were examined as predictors of children's tendency to engage in cross-speaker and intrasentential code-switching.
METHOD
The participants were 62 Spanish/English bilingual children, ages 4;0-6;11 (years;months), including 15 children with DLD and 47 children with TLD. In a scripted confederate dialogue task to measure language control, children took turns describing picture scenes with video partners who were monolingual speakers of English or Spanish. The Dimensional Change Card Sort indexed cognitive control, the Bilingual English Spanish Assessment assisted in identifying DLD, and parent ratings from the Inventory to Assess Language Knowledge indexed proficiency in Spanish and English.
RESULTS
Children with DLD were more likely to engage in from Spanish to English (i.e., responding in English when addressed in Spanish) than children with TLD, even when controlling for proficiency in each language. (i.e., integrating both languages within an utterance) did not differ between groups. Cognitive control was more associated with cross-speaker than with intrasentential code-switching.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight the need to consider cross-speaker and intrasentential code-switching separately when seeking distinguishing features of code-switching in bilingual children with DLD. The use of increased cross-speaker code-switching by children with DLD especially with Spanish speakers highlights the need for increased support of home language use.
Topics: Child; Humans; Language; Language Development; Language Development Disorders; Language Tests; Multilingualism
PubMed: 35143728
DOI: 10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00332 -
CoDAS 2016To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the relationship between language development, social behavior, and family and school environments in children aged 4... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the relationship between language development, social behavior, and family and school environments in children aged 4 to 6 years.
RESEARCH STRATEGY
Papers published between March 2009 and March 2014 were searched in electronic databases. The first phase of the study consisted in preparing the guiding question. Subsequently, survey and selection of studies were conducted. To this end, descriptors were defined by groups of themes.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The following types of publications were included in the search: complete scientific articles available in full and freely and original research papers or literature reviews published in the past five years covering the 4 to 6-year age range.
DATA ANALYSIS
The analysis of the papers was conducted through critical reading and selection of the results that responded to the guiding question.
RESULTS
Fourteen articles were selected. Most of the studies used at least one standardized instrument. Research indicates that the family environment is related to language development, mainly regarding socioeconomic status and parental education; number of adults who live with the child; parental health; language motivation; and interaction between parents and children. Only one article showed association between quality of the school environment and language development, and none showed evidence of an association between social behavior and language development.
CONCLUSION
Most of the studies analyzed focus on the relationship between family environment and language development. Very few studies with this approach are available in the specific literature.
Topics: Child; Child Language; Child, Preschool; Family Relations; Humans; Language Development; Language Disorders; Social Behavior; Speech-Language Pathology
PubMed: 27652929
DOI: 10.1590/2317-1782/20162015193 -
Perspectives on Psychological Science :... Mar 2021Statistical-learning (SL) theory offers an experience-based account of typical and atypical spoken and written language acquisition. Recent work has provided initial... (Review)
Review
Statistical-learning (SL) theory offers an experience-based account of typical and atypical spoken and written language acquisition. Recent work has provided initial support for this view, tying individual differences in SL abilities to linguistic skills, including language impairments. In the current article, we provide a critical review of studies testing SL abilities in participants with and without developmental dyslexia and specific language impairment and discuss the directions that this field of research has taken so far. We identify substantial vagueness in the demarcation lines between different theoretical constructs (e.g., "statistical learning," "implicit learning," and "procedural learning") as well as in the mappings between experimental tasks and these theoretical constructs. Moreover, we argue that current studies are not designed to contrast different theoretical approaches but rather test singular confirmatory predictions without including control tasks showing normal performance. We end by providing concrete suggestions for how to advance research on SL deficits in language impairments.
Topics: Biomedical Research; Humans; Language Development; Language Development Disorders; Learning; Linguistics
PubMed: 33136519
DOI: 10.1177/1745691620953082 -
International Journal of Environmental... Mar 2021The home language environment is critical to early language development and subsequent skills. However, few studies have quantitatively measured the home language...
The home language environment is critical to early language development and subsequent skills. However, few studies have quantitatively measured the home language environment in low-income, developing settings. This study explores variations in the home language environment and child language skills among households in poor rural villages in northwestern China. Audio recordings were collected for 38 children aged 20-28 months and analyzed using Language Environment Analysis (LENA) software; language skills were measured using the MacArthur-Bates Mandarin Communicative Developmental Inventories expressive vocabulary scale. The results revealed large variability in both child language skills and home language environment measures (adult words, conversational turns, and child vocalizations) with 5- to 6-fold differences between the highest and lowest scores. Despite variation, however, the average number of adult words and conversational turns were lower than found among urban Chinese children. Correlation analyses did not identify significant correlations between demographic characteristics and the home language environment. However, the results do indicate significant correlations between the home language environment and child language skills, with conversational turns showing the strongest correlation. The results point to a need for further research on language engagement and ways to increase parent-child interactions to improve early language development among young children in rural China.
Topics: Adult; Child; Child Language; Child, Preschool; China; Humans; Language; Language Development; Vocabulary; Young Adult
PubMed: 33800901
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052671