Home Language Use Research Articles

Home literacy environment, language use, and proficiency: Bilingual profiles in young learners

Expanded research is needed on how the home environment shapes bilingual proficiency in young children exposed to a different language at home than in early childhood education and care settings. This study examined whether variation in language use with parents, language proficiency, and home literacy environments reflect bilingual profiles. Participants included 320 Norwegian dual language learners (aged 22–68 months) with diverse language backgrounds. Parental surveys assessed language use, first language (L1) proficiency and home literacy environment. Standardized tests assessed second language (L2) proficiency. Latent profile analysis revealed three profiles: (1) more L2 use, higher L2 proficiency and higher L2 home literacy environment; (2) more L1 use, higher L1 proficiency and lower home literacy environments for both languages; and (3) more L1 use, higher proficiency in L1 and L2, and higher home literacy environments for both languages. Profiles differed in L1 distribution, maternal residency length in Norway, and maternal education.

The Structural Relations of Component Reading Comprehension Skills in Kiswahili: The Influence of Socio‐Economic Status and Home Literacy Environment

AbstractThis research explores structural relations among the component skills of reading comprehension in Kiswahili. Furthermore, the study examines the relationship between socio‐economic status, home and school language use, and home literacy environment with Kiswahili reading outcomes. The study utilized secondary data from the baseline Tusome Literacy activity implemented in Kenya at scale from 2015 to 2022 by USAID, Research Triangle Institute in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Kenya and other partners. A three‐stage stratified sampling procedure was used to randomly select the schools and students from a sample frame compiled from multiple education databases of public formal and non‐formal schools in Kenya. The final sample comprised 4886 grade 1 and 2 learners who completed a battery of early grade literacy assessment in Kiswahili and a survey of the socio‐economic status (SES), home literacy environment (HLE), and school and home language use. We conducted a regression analysis to examine structural relations among the component skills of reading comprehension and the relationships between the SES, HLE, and early literacy skills. The findings indicate that the component skills are interconnected with the sub‐lexical skills, serving as the building block for the higher‐order skills. Letter sound knowledge, text reading fluency, and listening comprehension predict reading comprehension. Reading stories at home, reading aloud, and silent reading practice at school significantly influences reading outcomes. The mismatch between home and school language and low SES negatively impacts reading outcomes. These findings indicate that systematic and explicit instruction is critical in acquiring literacy skills, particularly for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We don’t have a family language policy: exploring overt and covert family language policy planning styles

ABSTRACT Family language policy (FLP) is a key focus of immigrant families, as parents are considered to play a vital role in children’s bilingual language development. Nevertheless, many parents report that they do not have an FLP. Accordingly, their FLP planning style is unplanned and spontaneous. This study compares families’ FLP planning styles (overt vs. covert). Data was collected via questionnaires from parents and their English-Hebrew bilingual children (n = 82). Children’s receptive and expressive vocabulary of both languages were assessed to explore the impact of FLP planning style. Results confirm that families present with a desire for proficient outcomes in both languages. However, families with an overt planning style present with more pro-heritage language policies (e.g. promoting English use with siblings). Those with a covert planning style lean towards pro-societal language policies and children may be allowed to speak any language at home. Differences in FLP planning did not significantly impact ratings of home language use or children’s vocabulary. The perceived value of English as a global language may be partially responsible for the findings. The study confirms that although there are many effective ways to raise a bilingual child, FLP planning has implications for the bilingual language learning environment.

Examining English learning students’ experiences related to home language use in a Physical Science and Language Development classroom

Research suggests that by allowing English Learner (EL) students to use their home languages in science class, they can better express their thinking and build content knowledge through underlying crosslinguistic awareness between languages. However, EL students’ educational backgrounds and home languages are incredibly varied. In this case study, we employ grounded theory to explore students' perceptions of their experiences in the context of a Physical Science and Language Development class [10]. We use a phenomenological approach to describe how the students experience their home language within this model of a science and language development class. Observation data, online video assignments, and small group, semi-structured interviews were used to find themes related to experiences of using home language in science class. The findings indicate varied student perspectives on the use of their home languages in science class. Some students preferred to use class time to practice using English, while others found value in using their home languages to help better understand science concepts. Student ideologies regarding English-only or multilingual practices for EL students varied. The findings also indicated that providing an opportunity for EL students to use their home languages in an asynchronous online communication platform outside of class was an effective strategy to allow time for students to practice English during science class, yet provide an opportunity to translate between home languages and English.

The Effects of Home Language Use on Spanish Speech Measures in Bilingual Children With Hearing Loss Who Use Cochlear Implants and Their Peers With Normal Hearing.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the amount of home language use between the primary caregiver and bilingual Spanish- and English-speaking children with hearing loss who use cochlear implants (CIs) versus their bilingual age-matched peers with normal hearing (NH) can impact speech outcomes in the home language. Thirty-four bilingual Spanish- and English-speaking children (17 CI users and 17 with NH) between the ages of 5;3 and 7;9 (years;months) participated in this study. Independent variables were the amount of home language use with the primary caregiver and hearing status, and dependent variables were vowels and consonants correctly produced and occurrence of selected phonological processes. The amount of home language use was ascertained from surveys, and the dependent measures were based on a single-word picture elicitation task. Bilingual children with CIs who are exposed to Spanish for more than 80% of the time via their primary caregiver performed better on Spanish segmental accuracy measures than those who are exposed to Spanish from only 20% to 50% of the time, specifically on vowels (partial η2 = .31) and consonants (partial η2 = .025). Children with NH outperformed children with CIs on all accuracy measures in Spanish. Preliminary results suggest the importance of language exposure through interactions with the primary caregiver for speech development in bilingual children. Future studies should investigate strategies to facilitate home language development in bilingual children with CIs, enabling them to reach their full potential.

The interplay of home language use, oral language and early reading and writing skills in Singaporean bilingual children's English and Chinese languages

The interplay of home language use, oral language and early reading and writing skills in Singaporean bilingual children's English and Chinese languages

Inclusion of home languages during early childhood instructional conversations

Including home languages in classrooms can increase multilingual students’ participation, improve literacy, and promote inclusion. It is a prevalent topic at academic conferences; however, home language use in classrooms is less common. This study was a microanalysis of home language use during Instructional Conversations at a linguistically diverse English-medium preschool. Data sources included 27 h of classroom videos of Instructional Conversations and interviews with educators who used children's home languages. Home language use during Instructional Conversations was rare in these data; however, when employed, it was followed by increased participation by the multilingual children, facilitating language and concept development. These findings indicate a need for explicit educator preparation on home language use in classrooms. Educators in this study who used children's home languages adopted alternative discourse patterns than those traditionally found in schools. They reported being motivated by the increased participation of multilingual children and positive responses from families.

Sharing and comparing languages – how teachers and pupils co-construct language comparison interactions

ABSTRACT By focusing on differences and similarities between languages, pupils can increase their learning of abstract principles, metalinguistic awareness and language learning strategies (Duarte, J., & Günther-Van der Meij, M. (2018). A holistic model for multilingualism in education. EuroAmerican Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages, 5(2), 24–43; Star, J. R., & Rittle-Johnson, B. (2009). It pays to compare: An experimental study on computational estimation. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 102(4), 408–426). However, research has demonstrated that the possible benefits of multilingual approaches, such as language comparison, might be limited due to the nature of the classroom interaction in which these approaches are implemented (Rabbidge, M. (2019). The effects of translanguaging on participation in EFL classrooms. The Journal of AsiaTEFL, 16(4), 1305–1322). By using conversation analysis, the current study aimed to gain more insight into how teachers and pupils co-construct language comparison interactions in whole class conversations. Both the conversational structure and the teachers’ practices to stimulate pupils’ active contribution to the interactions were analysed, demonstrating a dominant conversational structure consisting of two key components. Dialogic and non-dialogic participation frameworks could be identified with the first providing pupils more opportunities to actively participate and contribute their own language comparisons than the latter. This study provides interactional evidence for the role of language comparison in making use of pupils’ diverse languages and has direct implications for teachers’ ways of shaping participation frameworks to stimulate home language use in the classroom.

How Turkish supplementary schools in the UK boost vocabulary in bilingual children (ages 4–8)

ABSTRACT This study investigates the heritage language development of Turkish-English bilingual children in the UK, focusing on the effects of Turkish supplementary schools and home language environments. A mixed-methods approach was used to compare 4–8-year-old children attending Turkish supplementary schools with those who do not, using vocabulary and narrative tasks and questionnaires. Participants included children from Turkish supplementary schools (attendees, n = 19) and Turkish communities (non-attendees, n = 22) in Doncaster, London, Manchester, Nottingham and York, along with their parents (n = 39). Data were collected in two phases. Initial results indicated that attendees underperformed in Turkish vocabulary production and comprehension, as well as narrative skills, compared to non-attendees, although their English proficiency was comparable. Cross-sectional analysis showed significant lexical growth for both groups from time 1 (t1) to time 2 (t2). Despite these gains, attendees continued to lag in Turkish language knowledge. Attendance at supplementary schools did not significantly affect English vocabulary knowledge. The underperformance of attendees in Turkish language tasks is attributed to greater Turkish exposure and use at home among non-attendees. These findings highlight the critical role of home language practice in bilingual development, suggesting that future studies should consider home language use in their assessments.

Children’s agency as a relational concept in bilingual family language practices

ABSTRACT This paper reports the study of the agency of children aged 10–14 in their language practices as they interacted with their family members. The study was located in a Vietnamese migrant community in Victoria, Australia. In using a thematic, interactional analysis combined with a relational approach to agency, it was found that children’s agency emerged on a continuum which ranged from a more negative end of the continuum – manifested through the children’s explicit resistance to parental requests for home language use – to a more positive end of the continuum – manifested through their flexible linguistic repertoire in accommodating their interlocutors’ needs. Findings also suggest that the linguistic practices in the family domain surfaced as dynamic co-constructions to reflect the adults’ and children’s constant (re)negotiation in their everyday language practices in the home, which was also influenced by other factors such as children’s linguistic competence and the families’ linguistic norms. The study builds on previous findings on the relational nature of children’s agency by bringing attention to the different manifestations of children’s agency that arise in situ as they interact.

Translanguaging practices in infant rooms: case studies of Chinese-Australian bilingual infant-educator interactions

ABSTRACT Many bilingual infants attend early childhood education centres (ECEC) with their monolingual peers. However, recent evidence reveals that bilingual infants vocalise significantly less than monolingual infants in ECEC settings (Zheng et al. 2023) [Effects of Multilingualism on Australian Infants’ Language Environments in Early Childhood Education Centers. Infant Behavior and Development, 70, 101799.], suggesting that educators may need to provide language tailored strategies to support bilingual infants’ language learning. This study examines how educators support Mandarin-English bilingual infants’ learning and development through a range of translanguaging practices in Australian ECEC contexts. We identified three functions of fluid translanguaging pedagogies: (1) make meaning and acknowledge children’s bilingual repertoires during play-based interactions; (2) introduce the connections between two languages during literacy and play activities; (3) provide emotional support or regulate behaviour through the use of home language. We also identified educators’ language-supporting strategies such as repetition, expanding their own/child’s utterances, labelling and questioning during translanguaging practices. This study is the first to closely describe the dynamic nature of translanguaging interactions between early childhood educators and Mandarin-English bilingual children under the age of two. Findings highlight the importance of translanguaging for scaffolding infants’ bilingual language learning, fostering their bilingual identities and supporting their wellbeing.

Influence of Home Language Use on the Association Between Parent Education and Child Adiposity in Latino Families.

Parent education and language use are associated with child obesity, but the impact of their interaction is less known. This study assessed whether parent education was associated with child adiposity and if this association was moderated by home language use in Latino families. Participants (n = 415) were Latino families from the Long Beach area. Demographic data were obtained by self-report parent surveys, and children's body size was objectively assessed via bioelectric impedance. Independent t-tests and hierarchical linear regressions were performed on baseline data from a larger intervention study. In the overall sample, parent education and child body mass index (BMI) percentile were not related (p = .050). However, stratification by home language use revealed that parent education was inversely associated with child BMI percentile among those whose primary home language was Spanish (p = .049), but not English/bilingual homes (p = .296). There were no significant associations with child percent body fat. Higher education was associated with a lower BMI percentile only in Spanish-speaking homes. Research to understand how home language influences this relationship is warranted, particularly as it relates to a subset of education and health literacy. Significant results with BMI percentile but not percent body fat highlight the fact that these distinct markers of obesity are not interchangeable.

Translanguaging pedagogies: Using an action research approach to support English as an Additional Language (EAL) students in a first-year undergraduate anatomy course.

Internationalisation of higher education has increased the number of EAL students studying in Anglophone countries, including Australia. Required English language proficiency tests (e.g., IELTS) do not reflect discipline-specific terminology nor prior learning necessary for successful study. Furthermore, anatomy study, the focus of this paper, requires an extensive terminology, predominantly derived from Latin or Greek, that creates significant learning challenge for all students, particularly EAL students.This pilot study was based in a large first-year anatomy course at an Australian university, with >30% EAL students. To address challenges for EAL students (as identified by teaching staff), translanguaging pedagogies were implemented through repeated cycles of action research. Translanguaging approaches, beyond simply translation of resources, employ EAL students’ full linguistic repertoire in the classroom to support acquisition of discipline content and the target language.Collaboration between the teaching team, a translanguaging expert and past EAL students identified specific translanguaging strategies for implementation. These strategies included a translanguaging workshop for teaching staff, encouragement of students’ use of home languages and targeted translated documents. A mixed methods approach was applied to evaluate the implementation. Initial findings show a positive response from both staff and students with additional reflections for future implementation and transferability to similar educational contexts.

Changes in the immigrant Russian-speaking family language policy during the war in Ukraine.

The Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine had a significant impact on the Russian-speaking identity, reformulating existing linguistic and cultural boundaries and shaping Russian speakers' self-perception and vision of the world. We focus on families with children who are trying to balance their inner and outer life in order to stabilize the positive environment of the upbringing process and analyze how adults explain to the children the need to learn the Russian, Ukrainian and other languages. This can shed light on the challenges and strategies employed in alleviating prejudiced attitudes against immigrants' languages and cultures which can cause alienation from the roots in the one-and-a-half and second generation. The research questions were: How has the war altered language policies in families with different ethnic backgrounds? What changes in home language use strategies do parents propose? Material drawn from numerous posts of Facebook discussions have been analyzed with the help of thematic analysis. We observe that in many multilingual families with Ukrainian roots the war has led to a greater emphasis on the Ukrainian language use as an attempt to reinforce ties to their cultural heritage and express support for the country. Russian is increasingly viewed as the language of the aggressor; moreover, Russian culture is devalued and rejected. Some families have become more open to new language learning, especially the languages of their new environment, and try to identify themselves as multicultural and multiethnic personalities. On the other hand, in those families where parents work or study in the fields in which Russian is widely used, adults prioritize the development of Russian language skills in their children in order to improve their future educational and professional opportunities. We explore attitudes and challenges faced by parents in Russian-speaking families, as they demonstrate the complexities of identity formation and language transmission while making salient the interplay between parents' personal experiences, their aspirations for their children's cultural identity, and the pressures of integration into the local society.

Investigating the Influence of Home Language Use and Language Environment on the Late Development of English Speaking Skills in Thai Children Attending Australian Kindergartens

Investigating the Influence of Home Language Use and Language Environment on the Late Development of English Speaking Skills in Thai Children Attending Australian Kindergartens

Family language policy and vocabulary of bilingual children across different ages

Family language policy explores planning of home language use and is thought to shape language acquisition. Historically, heritage languages have often been considered ‘low prestige’. In Israel, there are immigrants speaking English, a global lingua franca, as a heritage language. This study focuses on characterizing the language policies of this unique community. It explores how these policies affect bilingual children's language through the investigation of vocabulary. Data was collected via questionnaires from English-Hebrew bilingual children (n = 82, ages 5; 1–14; 1) and their parents. Children's receptive and expressive vocabulary was assessed in both languages. Results show that this group of heritage speakers is distinct as the heritage language is sometimes perceived as more important than the societal language. Nonetheless, parents adopt a balanced pro-bilingualism approach. English is considered instrumental in connecting with family. Hebrew is beneficial for communicating with the community. Statistically significant correlations indicate a directional relationship between family language policy and vocabulary. Multiple regression analyses explored the contribution of family language policy variables to vocabulary outcomes, controlling for chronological age and age of onset of bilingualism. Findings allude that the relationship is complex; speaking English at home may predict English, and encouraging English use with friends may negatively predict Hebrew.

Home language environment and bilingual acquisition in preschoolers from low-income homes: differential impact of language and literacy related factors

ABSTRACT This paper explores home language environment and bilingual language acquisition of 3- to 4-year-old children who come from low-income homes, based on the results of a questionnaire and a battery of bilingual language tests taken by 32 Chinese and Malay preschoolers in Singapore. Assessments included receptive vocabulary, depth of vocabulary, phonological awareness and print concept in both English and Mother Tongue (Chinese or Malay). The results were different for language and literacy factors. Home language use had no impact on test scores. However, literacy-related factors showed significant impact on nearly all the test results in both languages of the bilingual child. Reasons for lack of impact of home language use could be the quality of language used at home, inaccuracies in parent reports and the long hours that parents spend working outside the home. The authors conclude with emphasising the need for early reading intervention in order to improve bilingual language acquisition.

Understanding family factors for language transmission of minoritized languages in bilingual kindergarten children growing up in multilingual neighbourhoods

ABSTRACT Becoming bilingual is a necessity for many children because the language spoken at home is not the language used in school. Situated in multlingual neighborhoods, this study reports on a diverse group of 173 kindergarten children who spoke a minoritized language at home. By pairing the frameworks of Community Cultural Wealth with family language policy, the study aimed to describe families’ daily language use patterns at home and in the community, and family valuation of the home language. While proficiency in the home language varied across the children, most parents valued the transmission of their home language. Practices that supported the transmission of the home language included the use of home language with their children, opportunities to use the home language in the community context, and the importance of the home language for the child. In addition, we observed that many children in the study had parents who spoke the same home language as a first language(s), and had siblings who used this language at home. Strategies adapted to the needs of different profiles within multilingual families could be employed to support the transmission and maintenance of the minoritized language.

Reasons for migration, parental acculturation, and language: the case of Chinese American and Mexican American parents and dual language learners.

Migration is a complex process associated with a range of social, economic, and political reasons. In the U.S., almost one-quarter of the total population of parents are immigrant parents of children ages 0-10. Immigrant parents transmit values from their culture of origin as well as their language to their children. Additionally, they may undergo a process of cultural and psychological change known as acculturation. Research has shown that acculturation can be linked to parenting styles and adolescents' psychological well-being and behavioral problems. However, little is known about the associations among immigrant parents' acculturation, their home language and literacy practices, and their bilingual children's language skills. This study explores the relationships among reasons for migration, parental acculturation, home language and literacy practices, and child expressive vocabulary in English and their heritage language (HL). A group of 190 Spanish-English (N = 66) and Chinese-English (N = 124) dual language learners (DLLs) (mean age = 48.98 months) and their Chinese and Mexican parents (mean age of migration = 18.57 and 21.38 years old respectively participated. Frequency counts revealed that Mexican American families migrated to the U.S. mostly for multiple reasons, including joining family members, getting married, and looking for better education or job opportunities, whereas most Chinese American families migrated for family reasons only. Path analysis models showed that, for both cultural groups, language input in Spanish and Chinese mediated the relationship between parents' cultural orientations and DLLs' HL expressive vocabulary. These findings emphasize that despite the heterogeneity of immigrant families and the variability in DLLs' vocabulary skills in preschool, there exist some similarities across immigrant parents and bilingual children. A deeper understanding of acculturation practices and home language use can help educators better support children from diverse backgrounds and promote cultural awareness and sensitivity in the classroom.

Language in multilingual families during the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway: a survey of challenges and opportunities

Abstract The first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in school closures and homeschooling for families across the world. This provided a unique scenario to investigate multilingual family language interaction, and specifically, challenges and opportunities for home language (HL) use. This study is rooted in Family Language Policy (FLP) research, building on previous models of language policy as language beliefs, practices and management, as it addresses the effects of the lockdown on the use of, and exposure to, HLs. An online survey was used to assess the language beliefs, practices and management in a sample of families in Norway, a country with a significant and complex linguistic diversity. Our results indicate overall positive attitudes towards multilingualism in Norway, which are associated with an increased use of, and exposure to, Norwegian and HLs during the lockdown. Furthermore, we find a unique presence of English in multilingual families in Norway, especially across online spaces. Lastly, our study shows that the perception of multilingualism as a source of well-being is associated with positive effects of the lockdown in the use of HLs during the pandemic. We contend that this result can be taken as an example that, even in dire times of despair, families can find opportunities to promote multilingualism and language maintenance.