Spanish Proficiency Research Articles

The Late(r) Bird Gets the Verb? Effects of Age of Acquisition of English on Adult Heritage Speakers’ Knowledge of Subjunctive Mood in Spanish

Many previous studies have found that adult heritage speakers exhibit significant variability in their production and comprehension of mood morphology in Spanish. Nonetheless, it remains unclear what specific factors predict heritage speakers’ likelihood of exhibiting such variability. The present study contributes to this question by testing the effect of both (a) age-of-acquisition of English and (b) Spanish proficiency on heritage speakers’ productive and receptive knowledge of mood morphology. Seventeen “early” heritage speakers (age of acquisition of English: 0 to 3.5 years), 20 “late” heritage speakers (age of acquisition of English: 4 to 6 years), and 18 later childhood immigrants (age of arrival in the US: 8 to 12 years) completed a Contextualized Elicited Production Task and a Mood Preference Task. Results of the two experiments suggest that the later childhood immigrants, despite “overusing” subjunctive in +Presupposition adjectival relative clauses, are significantly more likely than “early” and “late” heritage speakers to produce and prefer subjunctive mood in expected subjunctive contexts (with para que and in -Presupposition adjectival relative clauses). Within the heritage speaker groups, however, Spanish proficiency was a stronger predictor of subjunctive knowledge than age of acquisition of English, a finding with implications for both heritage language research and pedagogy.

Short-term accommodation as a function of addressee language proficiency

AbstractThis paper examines patterns of phonetic accommodation as a function of addressee target language proficiency. Specifically, it analyzes short-term adjustments in the articulation of coda consonants /s/, /ɾ/, and /n/ in the speech of eight New York Dominican Spanish speakers during a series of conversations with different addressees – a native speaker and three nonnative Spanish speakers who have varying levels of Spanish proficiency. Results demonstrate that addressee native-speaker status and proficiency play a statistically significant role in both the degree and direction of phonetic accommodation exhibited by the native speaker informants. While the informants converge with both the most- and least-proficient addressees, they initially diverge from the mid-proficient addressee. The study finds that the native speaker informants use overtly-prestigious variants to attune to the academic Spanish of the most-proficient addressees and use covertly-prestigious, emblematic variants with both the mid-proficient and native speaker addressees to demonstrate outgroup and ingroup membership, respectively.

Associations of Multiple Acculturation Domains with Smoking Status among Latino Adults.

Few efficacious interventions for tobacco use exist for Latinos. Identification of cultural factors relevant to smoking among Latinos can inform the development of efficacious interventions for Latino smokers. Acculturation is associated with smoking, especially among Latinas, but extant research is limited by operationalization of acculturation with unidirectional, single-domain proxies. We examined associations of multiple domains of acculturation with gender and smoking status among Latino adults. Cross-sectional data from 140 bilingual Latino adults was utilized. Acculturation was measured with the 4 subscales of the Multidimensional Acculturation Scale II (MAS-II). Logistic regression analyses tested interaction effects between MAS-II American and Latino Cultural Identification subscales, English and Spanish Proficiency subscales, and their interactions with gender, on smoking status. Higher English Proficiency was associated with greater odds of being a smoker at Spanish Proficiency scores of 4.5 or higher. Higher Latino Cultural Identification was associated with lower odds of being a smoker among women, but not men. Acculturation toward American culture, per se, may not be a risk factor for smoking; rather, its influence depends on Latino culture maintenance. Unlike in other areas of mental/behavioral health among Latinos, biculturalism may not be protective against smoking. The association between acculturation and smoking among Latinas may be a function of loss of Latino culture identification. Intervention programs should consider targeting these at-risk individuals. Longitudinal work that corroborates current findings and identifies mechanisms underlying these associations is needed.

Deconstructing Heritage Language Dominance: Effects of Proficiency, Use, and Input on Heritage Speakers’ Production of the Spanish Alveolar Tap

This study considers language dominance as a composite of proficiency, use, and input, and examines how these constructs in Spanish influence heritage speakers’ production of Spanish alveolar taps. Two aspects of Spanish tap production were examined: lingual constriction rates and the degree of lingual constriction. Multiple measures associated with Spanish proficiency, use, and input were reduced to a smaller number of dimensions using principal component analysis, and the effects of the components on heritage speakers’ tap production were analyzed using mixed effects modeling. The overall findings suggest that dominance in Spanish may not have an effect on the degree of lingual constriction of heritage speakers’ taps, but it does have an effect on how frequently heritage speakers produce taps with lingual constriction. Spanish use and input were found to be the main contributors to heritage speakers’ target-like production of taps.

Yo Resisto, Tú Resistes, Todos Resistimos: Modes of Resistance Displayed by U.S.-Born Children of Deported Parents on the Mexico/U.S. Border

Over 600,000 U.S.-born children are living in Mexico after being forced to leave with their parents after a deportation. Although these children possess transnational funds of knowledge, these go unrecognized by their Mexican teachers, who mostly view transnational students from a deficit perspective. This qualitative study included three transnational students aged 12–17 attending schools in northern Mexico due to parental deportation and used interviews, testimonios and thematic analysis to document their educational experiences and to determine their coping mechanisms and modes of resistance. By doing so, this study intended to highlight the ways in which participants enacted agency. The research questions guiding this study were: How are the educational experiences of transnational youth shaped by parental deportation? What tools do they use to cope? and, how does transnational youth enact transformative and other types of resistance? Based on theories of resistance and the Coyolxayhqui Imperative theory, this research found that the major obstacle transnational students face is the difference in educational systems and teaching practices and lack of academic Spanish proficiency. Deportation posed the added burden of stigmatization and exclusion. Family support was the greatest coping mechanism identified by participants, followed by friendships formed in Mexico, especially with other transnational students, as well as being resilient and purposeful in their pursuit of an education. Participants in this study displayed self-defeating, transformative, and resilient resistance. All people and place names are pseudonyms.

Dual language programs: an exploration of bilingual students’ academic achievement, language proficiencies and engagement using a mixed methods approach

ABSTRACT Employing a mixed-methods research design, this study examines how a newly designed dual language program in an urban school advances language proficiencies among Spanish-English bilingual 6th graders in relation to content area achievement as measured on NYS standardized tests in English Language Arts and Math. It further investigates how students’ emotional (school identification) and behavioral engagement (language learning commitment) relate to bilingual language proficiencies. The results drawn from both quantitative and qualitative data indicate that bilingual students benefitted from attending a dual language program. It contributes positively to students’ academic achievement, bilingual school identification and commitment to language learning. With respect to language development, the study found that English proficiency in productive skills was positively correlated with standardized test scores. Spanish proficiency was positively correlated with students’ commitment to language learning. Spanish and English languages play different but equally important functions in the dual language program. However, students, face challenges in sustaining learning the two languages in school; we show that students experience a gradual language shift from Spanish to English. The study underscores the potential benefits of a multilingual proficiency perspective theory among the students and in preparing bilingual teachers.

Increased Incidence of Small for Gestational Age Neonates Among Hispanic English Only Speaking Women [20C

INTRODUCTION: The association of limited English proficiency and adverse perinatal outcomes is unclear. This study looked at the relationship between maternal language proficiency and birth weight. METHODS: Data from all Hispanic/Latino women in the database Peribank were included. The GROW-Centile calculator from the Perinatal Institute categorized neonates into 3 groups: small for gestational age (SGA), normal for gestational age, and large for gestational age (LGA). Logistic regression analysis was used to control for confounding factors (type I/II diabetes, gestational diabetes, maternal smoking, hypertension/preeclampsia, BMI, parity, country of birth, total years living in the US). RESULTS: Spanish only speaking patients (n=6248) had a lower incidence of SGA neonates than those with some English proficiency (n=3955) (OR .822; 95% CI .707-.954; P=.012). In contrast, English only speaking patients (n=295) had a higher incidence of SGA neonates than those with some Spanish proficiency (n=9908) (OR 1.452; 95% CI 1.045-2.019, P=.026). Of note, Spanish only speaking patients (n=6248) had a higher incidence of LGA neonates than those with some English proficiency (n=3955) (OR 1.266; 95% CI 1.052-1.523, P=.012). No association was found between English only speaking patients and LGA neonates (P=.937). CONCLUSION: Spanish only speaking patients were associated with larger neonates than those who have some English proficiency. One hypothesis is that higher English proficiency may be an indicator of greater assimilation into American culture, and therefore increased adoption of the American diet. As Hispanic/Latino patients become further assimilated into the American culture and diet, they may be at a higher risk of SGA neonates.

High Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Factors Associated with Haitian Immigrants in Southern Chile.

The objective was to determine the association between sociodemographic factors and food insecurity (FI) in Haitian immigrants in southern Chile. An analytical cross-sectional design was used. The sample consisted of Haitian immigrants residing in Southern Chile, who were recruited from community centers and completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Latin-American and Caribbean Food Security Scale. Multivariable analyses were performed to identify factors associated with FI. FI prevalence in the 234 participants was 78%; 60% had severe FI. Having children (OR 3.6; 95% CI 1.6-7.4), limited Spanish proficiency (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.8-7.3), no access to basic services (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.2-6.4), and not being a legal permanent resident (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.1-6.1) were associated with significantly higher odds of FI. Over three-quarters of Haitian immigrants in southern Chile suffer from FI. Tailored intervention strategies are needed to address this major public-health issue, with a special focus on those at highest risk, including families with children, and those with limited Spanish proficiency, no access to basic services, and without legal permanent resident status.

Associations of Acculturation with English- and Spanish-Language Health Literacy Among Bilingual Latino Adults

Background:Low health literacy (HL) is associated with poor health status and outcomes. Racial/ethnic minorities in the United States disproportionately experience low HL and HL-related health disparities. Among Latinos, acculturation is associated with health outcomes, but little is known about the relationship between acculturation and HL.Objective:We examined associations of sociodemographic and acculturation variables with English- and Spanish-language HL among 142 bilingual Latino adults with adequate HL.Methods:HL was assessed in English using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and in Spanish with the Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish-speaking Adults (SAHLSA). Acculturation was assessed using the four subscales of the Multidimensional Acculturation Scale-II. Associations of sociodemographic data and acculturation with HL were examined using linear regression.Key Results:Higher education, higher income, higher English proficiency, and lower Latino cultural identification predicted REALM scores (ps <.05) in univariate models. When these variables were entered into a single model, only education and Latino cultural identification were associated with REALM scores. In univariate analyses, the following characteristics were associated with SAHLSA scores: female gender, being partnered, higher education, higher income, being non-US born, lower English proficiency, and higher Spanish proficiency (ps < .05). Education, being non-US born, English proficiency, and Spanish proficiency were each significant in the multivariate model.Conclusions:Results revealed a significant association between acculturation and English- and Spanish-language HL among bilingual Latino adults with adequate HL, suggesting that HL should be assessed in the language in which individuals are most proficient. HL assessed in a nonprimary language may be confounded with language proficiency. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2019;3(2):e81–e89.]Plain Language Summary:The results of this investigation revealed a significant association between acculturation and English- and Spanish-language health literacy among bilingual Latino adults. This suggests that health literacy should be assessed in the language in which individuals are most proficient. Health literacy assessed in a nonprimary language may be influenced by language proficiency.

On Bilingual Aptitude for Learning New Languages: The Roles of Linguistic and Nonlinguistic Individual Differences

AbstractAn enduring question is whether language learning aptitude is a stable trait or is one influenced by experience, such as living with two languages. We investigated aptitude in bilinguals and treated their bilingual experience as an aggregate of variables, focusing on how individual differences in (a) language experience variables of proficiency, exposure, and age of onset and (b) nonverbal IQ explain variability in aptitude. Results from 80 Spanish–English bilinguals in the United States revealed positive relationships between balanced proficiency in Spanish and English, nonverbal IQ, and aptitude for grammatical inferencing. Similar relationships, plus a positive role for more exposure to bilinguals’ more dominant language, emerged for aptitude in building sound–symbol associations. No aptitude component related to age of onset and age at testing, nor did any language experience variable or IQ relate to aptitude for sound recognition. We discuss results vis‐à‐vis language and cognition in minority language bilinguals.

Between theory and practice

The present study explores patterns of cognition among 14 foreign language (FL) teacher students in Sweden regarding teaching oral proficiency and grammar in French German, Italian and Spanish. It is based on reflective cumulative log texts written by the students during a theoretical course in FL pedagogy. The log texts were investigated using qualitative content analysis to uncover central themes and patterns of agency. The findings indicate, among other things, that the FL teacher students hold strong experience-based cognitions regarding teaching both oral proficiency and grammar, and that, regardless if their FL learning experiences at school were based on form-focused teaching or communicative teaching, they struggle to negotiate the role of grammar in a communicative language teaching framework.

Cuban American College Students’ Perceptions Surrounding Their Language and Cultural Identity

Four waves of Cuban immigrants have arrived to the United States from the early 1960s with the fourth wave still in progress. The changing reasons these immigrants fled Cuba have resulted in diverse characteristics for each wave of immigration. This qualitative study investigated Cuban American students’ perceptions of their cultural background and Spanish proficiencies. The results of this study indicate that all participants possessed limited Spanish proficiencies and a strong desire to maintain their heritage. Implications are discussed in light of the current political climate in the United States.

Household Perspectives on Minority Language Maintenance and Loss: Language in the Small Spaces

Household Perspectives on Minority Language Maintenance and Loss: Language in the Small Spaces

Evaluación del español como lengua extranjera con fines académicos: una necesidad actual en el ámbito universitario

In the Spanish-speaking field, there is no compulsory certification by universities that certifies and requires a certain level of Spanish to university exchange students. However, there is a need to know the level of Spanish of these foreign students and how the existing tests has been validated in this context. This quantitative study shows the results of testing an online Spanish as a foreign language for specific academic purposes prototype test for a B2 level, applied to a sample of 28 foreign exchange students at a Chilean university. These results show that this prototype is valid to determine the level of proficiency in Spanish of students in an academic setting. However, new testings to verify the trends observed are needed and a readjustment of the number of segments for this test is suggested.

Language bias and proficiency effects on cross-language activation

Abstract Recent research proposes that language bias and proficiency modulate cross-language activation in comprehension and production, but it is unclear how they operate and whether they interact. This study investigates whether stress differences between Spanish-English cognates (material, final-syllable stress in Spanish) affect how native-English second-language-Spanish bilinguals recognize Spanish words (materia “subject/matter,” second-syllable stress in Spanish). In a Spanish-English eye-tracking experiment (and parallel production task), participants heard/produced trisyllabic Spanish targets with second-syllable stress (materia) and saw four orthographic words, including the target and a Spanish-English cognate competitor. Cross-language activation was examined by manipulating the stress of the cognate in English. In comprehension, English cognates with the same stress as the Spanish target (materia vs material) were predicted to cause more cross-language interference than English cognates with a different stress (litera “bunk bed,” vs literal), but the reverse pattern was expected in production. Participants were assigned to a Spanish-bias condition (20% of English (filler) items), or an English-bias condition (65% of English (filler) items). Results indicate that English cognates with the same stress as the Spanish target interfered with the recognition of the Spanish target only in the English-bias condition (but facilitated its production), while increasing Spanish proficiency helped reduce this cross-linguistic interference.

Supporting Spanish–English Bilingual Language Development Among Latinx Dual Language Learners in Early Learning Settings

Latinx dual language learners (DLLs) are a large and growing student body that continues to face educational adversities that contribute to the maintenance of a longstanding academic achievement gap. Previous research has documented that preschool attendance and development of home language skills in early childhood support the long-term academic and linguistic growth of DLLs; yet, relatively, little is known about how early childhood educators support bilingual language development in preschool and how such efforts impact bilingual proficiency. These are particularly salient questions, as emerging best practices to support DLLs identified in research may not be reaching educators with sufficient speed. The present mixed methods study examined the role of instructional and contextual factors in promoting English and Spanish language development among (N = 46) Latinx preschoolers. Qualitative phenomenological analyses were conducted to explore the nature of language instruction practices in Central California preschools. Analysis of covariance was used to determine if classroom characteristics, including culturally and linguistically responsive instruction practices and overall classroom quality, predict English and Spanish language proficiency at the end of the preschool year. Results suggest that language instruction practices may tend to be more reactive than systematic, and support findings that high overall instructional quality and application of targeted instructional supports for bilingual acquisition support the development of home language skills throughout the school year. The results reinforce the call for increased attention to bilingual language development in early childhood settings, especially through assessment, instruction models, and multi-tiered systems of support. School psychologists, who are trained on these topics, have a significant opportunity to collaborate with early childhood administrators and teachers to educate themselves further on DLLs’ early language development needs, help improve culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and assessment in early learning settings, and work to bridge the early childhood and K-12 systems to support DLLs’ ongoing development.

Evaluating Medical Spanish Proficiency: A Comparison of Physician Assistant Student Self-Assessment to Standardized Patient and Expert Faculty Member Ratings.

Whether physician assistant (PA) students' self-assessment or standardized patient (SP) evaluations of students' medical Spanish proficiency accurately reflect their language proficiency is unclear. This study compares PA student and SP ratings with an expert faculty member's rating to determine whether student or SP ratings can be used to evaluate language proficiency. Fifty-eight students participated in a single-station Spanish Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) at the midpoint of a medical Spanish curriculum. Using the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR)-a 6-point, single-item language proficiency scale previously validated among physicians-PA students and SPs evaluated students' medical Spanish proficiency. Their scores were then compared with the scores derived by an expert faculty rater who had viewed a video of each student-SP encounter. The faculty's score was considered the gold standard. Correlation between scores was calculated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Mean student scores were highest when rated by SPs (M = 3.8, SD = 0.9), followed by self (M = 3.0, SD = 0.9), and then faculty (M = 2.5, SD = 1.2). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient showed a strong positive correlation between students and the expert faculty rater (rs = 0.67, P < .001) and between SPs and the expert faculty rater (rs = 0.72, P < .001). The correlation was stronger for high- than for low-proficiency students. Students' self-rated scores showed significant improvement from baseline to the OSCE. PA students participating in a medical Spanish curriculum and SPs show good correlation with an expert faculty rater in assessing Spanish proficiency during an OSCE. Standardized patients demonstrate scoring leniency. The ILR has potential for tracking aggregate student progress and curriculum effectiveness. With training, student self-rating could be used for interval assessment of medical Spanish communication.

Spanish Language Concordance in U.S. Medical Care: A Multifaceted Challenge and Call to Action.

Patient-physician language discordance within the growing Spanish-speaking patient population in the United States presents a significant challenge for health systems. The Civil Rights Act, an Executive Order, and federal standards establish legal requirements regarding patients' legal right to access medical care in their language of origin and to culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and national competency standards for undergraduate and graduate medical education and licensing examinations support the importance of patient-physician communication. However, no requirements or guidelines currently exist for medical Spanish educational resources, and there is no standardized process to assess the competency of medical students and physicians who use Spanish in patient care. Relatedly, existing data regarding current medical Spanish educational resources are limited, and Spanish proficiency evaluations are often based on self-assessments. Future efforts should use a multifaceted approach to address this complex challenge. A standardized process for Spanish-language-concordant medical care education and quality assurance should incorporate the validation of medical Spanish educational resources, competency requirements for medical usage of Spanish, an incentivized certification process for physicians who achieve medical Spanish competency, and health system updates that include routine collection of language concordance data and designation of Hispanic-serving health centers.

Acquiring L1-English L2-Spanish Code-Switching: The Role of Exposure to Language Mixing

This paper explores the code-switching behavior of second language (L2) bilinguals as a lens into the development of their L2 linguistic systems. Specifically, it investigates the acceptability judgments of L1-English L2-Spanish bilinguals on intra-sentential code-switching, comparing those judgments to a group of Spanish–English bilinguals who acquired both languages as an L1. The particular issues of proficiency and bilingual language behavior are analyzed, testing whether either factor has an effect on L2 code-switching intuitions. The results suggest that both proficiency and bilingual language behavior are relevant. L2 bilinguals with an intermediate/advanced proficiency level of Spanish were more likely to align with 2L1 bilinguals with regard to code-switching judgments, as were L2 bilinguals who reported prior experience with language mixing. L2 bilinguals with lower proficiency in Spanish, as well as those who reported never engaging in code-switching, however, were more likely to diverge from the 2L1 bilinguals in their judgments.

Implicit and Explicit Knowledge of a Multiple Interface Phenomenon: Differential Task Effects in Heritage Speakers and L2 Speakers of Spanish in The Netherlands

This paper compares heritage speakers and second language (L2) speakers of Spanish with Dutch as their dominant language, in order to explore the role of age of onset and manner of acquisition in the nature of the knowledge (implicit vs. explicit) of the subjunctive. Differently from previous studies, all items were presented orally and in written form, so that language mode of presentation could be excluded as a confounding factor. Moreover, the groups were matched on their general proficiency in Spanish using both an explicit and an implicit proficiency task. The results showed that the L2 speakers outperformed the heritage speakers in the explicit knowledge task and vice versa in the implicit knowledge task, suggesting that differential task effects, which thus far have only been attested for morpho-syntactic phenomena, can be extended to interface phenomena as well. These findings imply that age of onset and manner of acquisition have an influence in the way knowledge is represented in these two populations, and moreover emphasize the importance of using different task types in bilingual research.