The acquisition of English possessives by a bilingual child

Do input and usage frequency matter

Dados Bibliográficos

ID20366252
AutoresElena Babatsouli (0000-0003-3010-986X, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania), Elena Nicoladis (0000-0002-5065-9159, University of Alberta, autor correspondente)
Ano2019
Volume46
Fascículo1
Páginas170-183
Data de publicação2019-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Child Language (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0305-0009 • E-ISSN: 1469-7602
EditoraCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0305000918000429
PMID30326984
OpenAlexW2897394919
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7
Referências citadas40

Previous research in child language shows that many aspects of language acquisition are frequency-linked. This study tests whether input or usage frequency predicts the order of acquisition and accuracy of a bilingual Greek–English child's English possessives. The child was followed longitudinally from age 2;6 to 3;11. Order of acquisition was comparable to that of same-aged monolingual children. The child's usage frequency and order of acquisition were highly correlated with input frequency, while her accuracy was not. We argue that the child's already-acquired Greek possessives facilitated acquisition of English possessives, even though the child's English input and usage frequencies were lower than in monolingual English children

Cognitive psychology · Language acquisition · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Possessive · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Neuroscience · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development