L1 and L2 vocabulary and word combinations of preschool children from migrant families in Italy

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the L1 and L2 linguistic profiles of preschool bilingual children of migrants, to compare the evaluations of their parents and teachers, and to identify the children with low L2 lexical skills. Method: The expressive vocabulary and word combinations of these bilingual children were assessed with the MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDI) short-form questionnaire, by both parents, to evaluate L1 and L2-Italian, and teachers, to evaluate L2. Interviews were carried out with the parents to collect the demographic and linguistic variables. Data and analysis: The sample comprised 60 preschool bilingual children of migrants (chronological age: 37–62 months) with 15 first language (L1) minority backgrounds, and exposed to L2-Italian. A total of 60 families and 44 nursery school teachers also participated. Conclusion: Almost two-thirds (61.4%) of these preschool bilingual children of migrants showed greater expressive vocabulary in L2 than L1. The children’s word combinations were advanced in L2 in 84.8%, and in L1 in 27.1%. Parents attributed higher language skills in L2-Italian to their children than teachers, although assessments of parents and teachers were correlated. Almost a quarter of the children (24.6%) showed low lexical skills in L2, which is explained by shorter exposure time to L2 at school. Originality: The characteristics of the L1 and L2 linguistic profiles of preschool bilingual children have been little studied to date, although these children are increasingly present in school contexts. There is the need to identify children who are slow in acquisition of L2, along with the contextual-linguistic factors that explain this slowed language acquisition. Implications: The availability of a relevant and rapid tool (MB-CDI questionnaire) to estimate knowledge in L1 and L2 that is suitable for migrant parents and teachers provides important information for assessment of the L2 skills of such bilingual children of migrants.