Vocabulary production in toddlers from low-income immigrant families

Evidence from children exposed to Romanian-Italian and Nigerian English-Italian

Dados Bibliográficos

ID20368649
AutoresChiara Barachetti (0009-0006-1423-5814, University of Verona), Marinella Majorano (0000-0002-5033-328X, University of Verona), Germano Rossi (0000-0002-9761-6754, University of Milano-Bicocca), Elena ANTOLINI (GlaxoSmithKline (Italy)), Rosanna ZERBATO (GlaxoSmithKline (Italy)), Manuela Lavelli (0000-0002-8667-1088, University of Verona)
Ano2022
Volume49
Fascículo2
Páginas408-421
Data de publicação2022-03-01
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/s0305000921000222
PMID33884950
OpenAlexW3152899755
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas3
Referências citadas28

The relationship between first and second language in early vocabulary acquisition in bilingual children is still debated in the literature. This study compared the expressive vocabulary of 39 equivalently low-SES two-year-old bilingual children from immigrant families with different heritage languages (Romanian vs. Nigerian English) and the same majority language (Italian). Vocabulary size, vocabulary composition and translation equivalents (TEs) were assessed using the Italian/L1 versions of the CDI. Higher vocabulary in Italian than in the heritage language emerged in both groups. Moreover, Romanian-Italian-speaking children produced higher proportions of TEs than Nigerian English-Italian-speaking children, suggesting that L1-L2 phonological similarity facilitates the acquisition of cross-linguistic synonyms

Heritage language · Immigration · Language acquisition · Language development · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Vocabulary · Vocabulary development · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Phonetics and Phonology Research