Children's Language Use Research Articles

Bilingualism – between Family and Educational System. Case Study – Romanian Nationality in Méhkerék

This study examines the linguistic and cultural dynamics of the Romanian-speaking community in Méhkerék, Hungary, focusing on the impact of bilingualism within families and educational settings. The research investigates how bilingual families influence their children's language use in various contexts, including school, society, and social interactions. Through a survey of 110 parents in the village, the study explores language preferences, the choice of bilingual or nationality schools, and the perceived advantages of bilingualism. Results show that while Romanian remains significant in family and cultural contexts, there is a notable shift towards Hungarian among younger generations. The findings highlight the importance of family-school collaboration in promoting and preserving bilingualism, as well as the cognitive, social, and educational benefits it offers. The study emphasizes the evolving role of bilingualism in maintaining cultural identity and fostering linguistic diversity.

Limited sex differences in spatial language in parent-child dyads

BackgroundThere is a complex pattern of sex differences in spatial abilities, yet there is limited knowledge of sex differences in children's exposure to, and children's use of, spatial language. The aim of this study was to directly compare mother-child and father-child interactions to investigate differences by child and parent sex in spatial language. MethodsThe first 3-min of mother-child and father-child DUPLO® play sessions were coded for spatial language when the child was 24 months (N = 187 families; 105:82 boys:girls) and two years later at 48 months (N = 115 families; 66:49 boys:girls). ResultsThere were no sex differences in children's or parents' spatial language use at 24 months or 48 months. Regardless of socioeconomic status or parent talkativeness, parents showed more variety of spatial language (quality) with their daughters than their sons, but a similar quantity of spatial language with their daughters and sons. Associational analyses revealed a concurrent association between parent and child spatial language use at 48 months, but parent spatial language at 24 months did not predict child spatial language 2 years later. No direct sex effects were observed for cross-sectional or longitudinal associational analyses. ConclusionsHigher spatial language quality with daughters could reflect a higher (perceived) need to provide conceptual support to daughters than sons. Beyond this, we found limited evidence of sex effects. Our findings represent an important contribution, demonstrating comparable levels of exposure to spatial language to sons and daughters, and comparable elicitation of spatial language from young boys and girls.

A Study on the Language Status of Left-behind Children in Key Counties of National Rural Revitalization and a relevant Application development : A Case Study of Youyang

At present, the problem of left-behind children in our country is receiving more and more attention. As the key object of rural revitalization, the language status of left-behind children is very important to the improvement of rural education quality and the overall revitalization strategy. Taking Youyang County as an example, this paper aims to explore the influencing factors of left-behind children's language attitude in Youyang area, and analyze the role and benefits of corresponding Putonghua Help App on language learning. Through the investigation and analysis of the left-behind children's language use in Youyang area, it is found that they have the characteristics of "multi-language coexistence, strong side and weak side" in language. In this context, the emergence of Mandarin Help App provides a convenient, efficient and interesting way for left-behind children to learn. By using Putonghua Help App, left-behind children can better improve their Putonghua level and promote ethnic language exchange and cultural inheritance. Therefore, Putonghua Help App plays an important role in improving the language attitude of left-behind children in Youyang area and improving Putonghua level, which has positive significance in promoting the improvement of local language environment. Meanwhile, the research results will provide strong support for improving the language education of left-behind children and promoting rural revitalization.

Grammatical gender in spoken word recognition in school-age Spanish monolingual and Spanish-English bilingual children.

This study examined grammatical gender processing in school-aged children with varying levels of cumulative English exposure. Children participated in a visual world paradigm with a four-picture display where they heard a gendered article followed by a target noun and were in the context where all images were the same gender (same gender), where all of the distractor images were the opposite gender than the target noun (different gender), and where all of the distractor images were the opposite gender, but there was a mismatch in the gendered article and target noun pair. We investigated 51 children (aged 5;0-10;0) who were exposed to Spanish since infancy but varied in their amount of cumulative English exposure. In addition to the visual word paradigm, all children completed an article-noun naming task, a grammaticality judgment task, and standardized vocabulary tests. Parents reported on their child's cumulative English language exposure and current English language use. To investigate the time course of lexical facilitation effects, looks to the target were analyzed with a cluster-based permutation test. The results revealed that all children used gender in a facilitatory way (during the noun region), and comprehension was significantly inhibited when the article-noun pairing was ungrammatical rather than grammatical. Compared to children with less cumulative English exposure, children with more cumulative English exposure looked at the target noun significantly less often overall, and compared to younger children, older children looked at the target noun significantly more often overall. Additionally, children with lower cumulative English exposure looked at target nouns more in the different-gender condition than the same-gender condition for masculine items more than feminine items.

Pengaruh Penggunaan Gadget terhadap Bahasa yang Digunakan oleh Anak Usia 6-10 Tahun dalam Berkomunikasi

In the increasingly advanced digital era, children are increasingly exposed to gadgets such as smartphones, tablets and computers which provide easy access to various online content. Almost all levels of society have gadgets. Excessive use of gadgets or without adequate supervision can have a negative impact on children's language development and use of Indonesian that is not appropriate for their age. Parents give gadgets to their children for several reasons, such as calming the child when they are fussy, making it easier for the child to sleep or eat, and giving parents free time so they can do household work or relax. The aim of this research is to analyze the influence of technological developments on the use of Indonesian by children in elementary schools in communicating and to identify forms of use of Indonesian that are not appropriate for the age of children in elementary schools due to technological developments. The research method used is analytical descriptive, namely research that attempts to describe phenomena that occur realistically, real and contemporary, because this research consists of making systematic, factual and precise descriptions, drawings or paintings regarding the facts, characteristics and relationships between the phenomena being studied. . The research results show that uncontrolled use of gadgets and lack of supervision can contribute to children using inappropriate language in their communication. Children who spend too much time on gadgets tend to be exposed to content that is inappropriate or not appropriate for their age. The influence of a less controlled environment can also influence the use of inappropriate language. It is important for parents and the environment around them to supervise children's use of gadgets by providing appropriate restrictions and managing usage times and also providing a clear understanding of the appropriate and ethical use of language in communication. Parents and the surrounding environment can act as positive examples in the use of appropriate language and provide continuous guidance regarding the importance of using appropriate language in communication.

An Examination of the Language Situation of Left-behind Children in the National Rural Revitalisation Focused Help—Taking Youyang as an Example

Left-behind children, as the key object of rural revitalization, and their language status are crucial to the improvement of the quality of rural education and the overall revitalization strategy. Taking Youyang County as an example, this study analyses left-behind children's language ability, language use, and language attitudes to derive the factors influencing their development, as well as the conclusions and recommendations, using questionnaires, interviews, observations, and other methods with left-behind children as the objects of investigation. The results will provide strong support for improving language education for left-behind children and promoting rural revitalization.

Implementasi metode read aloud dalam mengembangkan kosa kata anak di kelompok A TK Mentari Loa Janan

This research is motivated by the importance of developing children's vocabulary in their language skills. The choice of method for implementation is also no less important. It is hoped that choosing the read aloud method will provide a pleasant atmosphere and be able to facilitate children in acquiring vocabulary. This method is a means that can provide a wide variety of vocabulary to children. The aim of this research is to determine the implementation of the read aloud method in developing the vocabulary of children in group A. This research is field research with a qualitative approach. Data was collected through observation, interviews and documentation. The subjects in this research were the Principal and Teacher of Mentari Loa Janan Kindergarten. The validity of the data was tested through triangulation of sources, techniques and time. Data analysis refers to the work steps of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana involving data condensation, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of this research relate to the implementation of the read aloud method applied by teachers in developing children's vocabulary. Planning consists of selecting books that suit the learning theme and pre-reading the books. The implementation consists of creating a pleasant atmosphere, showing and introducing the book cover, actively interacting with the children, asking questions to the children and discussing about 4-5 new vocabulary words in the book. Evaluation is carried out by asking children about the story they have just read, including the content, concepts and vocabulary. Assessment of vocabulary development itself is carried out by paying attention to children's conversations and language use. Although the research results provide an overview of the implementation of the read aloud method, further research is still needed to evaluate the long-term impact on children's vocabulary development. This can be a basis for developing more concrete recommendations to increase the effectiveness of using the read aloud method in the context of vocabulary development for children in group A.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on multilingual families in the Netherlands.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, public life in many countries ground to a halt in early 2020. The aims of this study were (i) to uncover the language practices of multilingual families during the pandemic, in general and especially regarding homeschooling; and (ii) to determine to what extent the changes in circumstance caused by the pandemic impacted children's language use and proficiency, and family well-being. Parents from 587 families completed an online survey for 1051 children. Data were analysed using ordinal logistic regression. Our results showed that for most children, there were no changes in language use, proficiency or well-being. When there were changes, these were more likely for (families with) preschool children. Using the heritage language for homeschooling (some or all of the time) did not have a negative impact on Dutch language proficiency, but it did have a positive impact on the heritage language proficiency.

Neural Correlates of Morphosyntactic Processing in Spanish-English Bilingual Children: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of early bilingual exposure on Spanish-English bilingual children's neural organization of English morphosyntactic structures. This study examines how children's age and language experiences are related to morphosyntactic processing at the neural level. Eighty-one children (ages 6-11 years) completed an auditory sentence judgment task during functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging. The measure tapped into children's processing of early-acquired (present progressive -ing) and later-acquired (past tense -ed and third-person singular -s) English morphosyntactic structures, the primary language of academic instruction. We observed effects of syntactic structure and age. Early-acquired morphemic structures elicited activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus, while the later-acquired structures elicited additional activations in the left middle temporal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus (STG). Younger children had a more distributed neural response, whereas older children had a more focal neural response. Finally, there was a trending association between children's English language use and left STG activation for later-acquired structures. The findings inform theories of language and brain development by highlighting the mechanisms by which age and language experiences influence bilingual children's neural architecture for morphosyntactic processing.

Multilingual children living in multilingual families: investigating factors impacting children’s happiness

ABSTRACT Due to successive immigration waves, many European countries are experiencing a rise in ethnic minoritized families. In this study, we investigate how risks and resources associated with multilingualism at the individual and the family level shape minoritized children’s reported happiness and whether these effects are independent of children’s ethnic and national identification and perceived family cohesion. We use data collected from over 800 children (ages 10–12) living in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern region of Belgium. Results from multinomial logistic regression models on reported happiness provide robust evidence that speaking and understanding two languages well is beneficial for children compared to being fluent in only one. Moreover, the positive effects of multilingualism are not attributable to children’s ethnic and national identification, factors that are beneficial in themselves. Our results further suggest that differences in mother–child language use and brokering are associated with lower levels of happiness, independently of family cohesion and individual factors. The findings of this study yield important insights for current political debates surrounding policies associated with multilingualism.

Assessing pragmatics in early childhood with the Language Use Inventory across seven languages.

The Language Use Inventory (LUI) is a parent-report measure of the pragmatic functions of young children's language, standardized and norm-referenced in English (Canada) for children aged 18-47 months. The unique focus of the LUI, along with its appeal to parents, reliability and validity, and usefulness in both research and clinical contexts has prompted research teams globally to translate and adapt it to other languages. In this review, we describe the original LUI's key features and report on processes used by seven different research teams to translate and adapt it to Arabic, French, Italian, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, and Portuguese. We also review data from the studies of the seven translated versions, which indicate that all the LUI versions were reliable and sensitive to developmental changes. The review demonstrates that the LUI, informed by a social-cognitive and functional approach to language development, captures growth in children's language use across a range of linguistic and cultural contexts, and as such, can serve as a valuable tool for clinical and research purposes.

Istikhdām al-Lugah al-‘Arabiyyah Ladā al-Aṭfāl zāwi al-Iḥtiyājāt al-Khāssah; ‘Alā Naẓri ‘Ilm al-Lugah al-Nafsī

This study aims to measure psychological gestures and language acuity (linguistics) from sensory integration barriers or disorders in a child with Down syndrome named Muhammad Syauqi, with an IQ below 45, a child with special needs from QIS Surabaya. The purpose of this study was to determine linguistic ability (language ability related to pronunciation sharpness, duration of memorizing Arabic vocabulary, and language regularity), psychological resilience in the process of speaking Arabic, and to identify pronunciation barriers that are owned by the cognitive abilities of children with Down syndrome IQ in below 45. This study uses qualitative research with observation methods, namely field observations, accompanied by analysis and distribution methods, namely listening, taking notes, changing, and replacing. The descriptive analysis method is used to present information and data. Data collection techniques were obtained through observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis used descriptive analysis by describing and summarizing the data obtained statistically. The analysis results show that language use in children with Down syndrome, namely Muhammad Syauqi, is very different because apart from the lower average IQ, obstacles to pronunciation acuity also occur due to physical disorders in the mouth to the throat. Down syndrome children can only say one word because of the lack of vocabulary. Children with Down syndrome will point to the object they want when asking for something. Children with Down syndrome have difficulty pronouncing the vowels /alif/, /fa'/, /syin/, /shod/, /hot/ /'ain/, and /groin/, as well as the vibration of the sound /ro'/. Children with Down syndrome also experience difficulties pronouncing the correct articulation, even sounds that sound unclear, and sometimes make faint sounds without meaning that cannot be understood.

Navigating multiple languages: The use and effect of code-switching in children from mixed marriage families

The phenomenon of code-switching manifests as the practice of seamlessly oscillating between two or more distinct languages or language variations within the confines of a singular exchange, be it a sentence or a conversation. Children reared in environments rich with linguistic diversity frequently acquire the ability to proficiently maneuver between languages as a mechanism to convey meaning to varied interlocutors or within disparate situational contexts. This study presents a qualitative case study of two children from mixed marriage parents, one of whom is an Indonesian native speaker and the other is an English native speaker. The aim of the study is to explore the use of code-switching and its impact on the language development and proficiency of children from mixed-marriage families. Interviews were conducted with the parents, while observations were made of the children's language use at home. The results suggest that code-switching facilitates the development of children's language skills in different contexts; however, it also hinders their ability to separate and utilize different languages effectively. Furthermore, code-switching enables children to maintain a connection to their cultural heritage and fosters a sense of comfort in multicultural environments.

Complex Language Use in Children With Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review.

Understanding what is known about the language profiles of children with hearing loss (CHL) is vital so that researchers and teachers can identify the specific complex syntactic structures that CHL may struggle to master. An understanding of which aspects of complex syntax pose difficulties for CHL is necessary to inform the kind of intervention that will facilitate learning complex syntax for this cohort of children. This scoping review aims to identify what is currently known about the complex syntax use of CHL who communicate through spoken language, and uncover gaps in the literature to guide further research. Ascoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The Covidence software was utilized to manage the initial and full-text screening process for the search. From a total of 304 studies, 42 studies were identified that met the eligibility criteria. The review highlights the use of broad-based language assessments and limited use of specific descriptions of the types of complex syntactic structures and skills. Findings highlight the need for assessment protocols and analysis methods that better support the description of complex syntax profiles for CHL. School-age CHL continue to display challenges with complex syntax development. The review highlighted the need for further research to improve understanding of the complex syntax strengths and vulnerabilities of CHL. Further investigation is needed to better understand their ability to combine ideas and build complexity in their language use, which in turn can inform teaching in schools and interventions for children who require support. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21980177.

Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts Solutions: A Tutorial

Purpose: In the early 1980s, researchers and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) collaborated to develop the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT). Research and development over the ensuing decades has culminated into SALT Solutions, a set of tools to assist SLPs to efficiently complete language sample analysis (LSA) with their clients. In this tutorial, we describe how SALT can assist with the accurate identification of children with language disorders and provide a rich description of children's functional language use. After summarizing the multiple elicitation methods developed by the SALT team, we provide case studies, showing how to select an elicitation method that aligns with a child's characteristics. We then summarize major considerations when transcribing, analyzing, and interpreting language samples with SALT. We revisit our case studies to illustrate how SALT adds value to the comprehensive assessment of language in children. Conclusions: LSA is a powerful assessment tool for children suspected of having language disorders. The SALT suite of solutions provides a toolkit to assist SLPs with their comprehensive language assessments.

Parents' planning, children's agency and heritage language education: Re-storying the language experiences of three Chinese immigrant families in Australia.

This study delves into the heritage language experiences of Australian-born Chinese immigrant children under the framework of family language policy. Storytelling as a narrative inquiry method is used to reveal the lived experiences of the protagonists in relation to heritage language and culture. The three family stories involved for case studies reveal different levels of parent agency in Chinese immigrant families regarding their children's home language use and heritage language education. It is noted that the level of child agency corresponds with the level of their parent agency. Where parents strongly advocate and practice heritage language maintenance, stronger agency is observed in their children to continue the use and learning of their heritage language. In addition, maintaining harmony while parents are implementing family language policies and providing children with formal instruction in heritage language are conducive to heritage language development, particularly in terms of its literacy.

Editorial

Welcome to the second issue of Volume 32, Journal of Modern Languages (JML). Here, we present six scholarly works that reflect the diversity and depth of current linguistic research. In the opening paper, The Development of Paediatric Malay Matrix Sentence Test (PaedMalayMST) Materials through the Construction of a Paediatric Malay Corpus, a collaborative team from Malaysia and New Zealand introduces an innovative approach to the development of a paediatric speech perception test. The authors detail the process of constructing a paediatric Malay corpus, which unveils the rich and intricate nature of Malay children's language use. This work illustrates a remarkable path to the development of tests that can more accurately assess the speech perception skills of children in Malaysia. The second paper, Female Sympathisers of ISIS as Muhajirahs in ISIS-Affiliated Media investigates the representation of women in ISIS-affiliated media. Through a well-structured critical discourse analysis, the authors explore the complexity of gender roles and dynamics within a politically charged setting. This research provides valuable insights into the portrayal and influence of women within extremist organizations. Shifting to the realm of audio-visual translation, the article Subtitling Strategies and Translation Accuracy in the Malay to English Translation of ‘Ejen Ali: The Movie’, assesses the quality and strategies of subtitle translations. This work represents a significant step towards understanding how translation strategies affect the accuracy of subtitle translations, a crucial aspect of global media consumption. The subsequent study, Characteristics of Exocentric Nominal Compounds in Berom: A Semantic View of the Noun-Verb Agentive ‘mwat tabak’ and ‘mwat ha’, provides an in-depth analysis of the agentive nominal compounds in Berom. It illustrates how meaning is shaped by the constituents and the context of usage, serving as a fine example of the intricate interplay between structure and semantics in language. The fifth study, A Study of Number Marking in Izere Nouns, offers a detailed examination of noun inflections for number in Izere. It underscores the importance of understanding the morphological processes involved in less-studied languages. Finally, our issue concludes with Representation of Social Class and Hierarchy in Bangla Address Terms: A Sociolinguistic Study, which explores the sociocultural significance of address terms in Bangla. It sheds light on the various socio-cultural factors influencing address term choices, and consequently, the reflection of social class and hierarchy in language. Together, these six papers demonstrate the profound diversity in language and linguistics research. As always, we hope this issue inspires stimulating discourse and further scholarly inquiry in the field of languages and linguistics. We extend our gratitude to all our authors, reviewers, and readers who continue to support and enrich our journal.

CHILD'S NARRATIVE STRUCTURE


 At its daily used in adult individuals and children, language meet the communication function is to communicate ideas (thought) of an individual in others (Piaget, 2005: 1). This can be evident from the speech-speech or narrative generated in the use of everyday language which then becomes an interesting study for the main study in the use of language in children. In narrating the story, just as it had done by adult speakers, children will also make the selection and preparation of experience and other stories from the story of his life (life story). This explains the narrative as a genre that is universal because it narrated traditions can be found in every culture and speakers of different languages ​​(Hatch: 1992 in Brockmeier 1998). On the other hand, the narrative is also characterized as being bound by culture and language so that in the context of language and speakers of different backgrounds will have the tools possible narrative and discursive different linguistic (Labov & Waletsky: 1968, Ochs: 1998 in Berman 1998). The above facts indicate that the narrative structure generated by the speakers of a language and culture will be different from the speakers of the language with cultural and language backgrounds other.

A Sweet Tutorial to the SUGAR Method of Language Sampling

Purpose: The purposes of this tutorial are (a) to describe a method of language sample analysis (LSA) referred to as SUGAR (Sampling Utterances and Grammatical Analysis Revised) and (b) to offer step-by-step instructions detailing how to collect, transcribe, analyze, and interpret the results of a SUGAR language sample. Method: The tutorial begins with an overview of current LSA use, including barriers to clinical implementation, followed by an overview of the SUGAR method. Next, the SUGAR method is described in detail, including collecting the sample, transcribing the sample, analyzing the sample, and interpreting the results. To illustrate the method, each section includes an accompanying appendix that provides an example of a sample transcript and the various analyses. Conclusions: SUGAR offers speech-language pathologists one way to conduct LSA that is cost free, valid, and efficient. Clinicians can collect, transcribe, and analyze samples in approximately 21 min. The results of a SUGAR analysis can be used to document the presence of a language impairment, obtain a detailed description of a child's conversational language use, identify intervention targets, and develop intervention goals.

Translanguaging, multilingualism, and multimodality in young children's mathematics learning

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to portray the complex language practices of multilingual children when learning mathematics. To do so, I draw on data collected as part of a three-year research study that was designed to understand the relationship between young children's language use and mathematics learning, focusing on students’ work as well as interactions collected through research journal entries and audio recordings. I center the practice of thick description as a path to advance disruptive understanding of multimodal representations of children's language use while learning mathematics. I then consider the necessary movement from a preconceived understanding of language to enacting an understanding of language that is responsive to the experiences and diverse language practices of children. I argue that a disruptive understanding and enactment of language can foster meaningful mathematics learning by dismantling hierarchical power structures.