Effects of early bilingualism on learning phonological regularities in a new language. Academic Article

abstract

• Drawing on structural sensitivity theory, the current study investigated monolingual and bilingual children's ability to learn how phonemes combine to form acceptable syllables in a new language. A total of 186 monolingual and bilingual kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders in Taiwan participated in the study. Bilingual children, regardless of whether they actively used a second language at home or simply had exposure to it, showed an advantage over their monolingual peers in learning the phonological patterns in the new language. The study provides empirical support for structural sensitivity theory and calls for the need to reconceptualize the effects of early bilingualism.

authors

• Kuo, Li-Jen

published proceedings

• J Exp Child Psychol

author list (cited authors)

• Kuo, L., & Anderson, R. C.

citation count

• 41

complete list of authors

• Kuo, Li-Jen||Anderson, Richard C

publication date

• March 2012

publisher

• Elsevier  Publisher

published in

• Journal of Experimental Child Psychology  Journal

keywords

• Age Factors
• Child
• Humans
• Language
• Language Development
• Multilingualism
• Phonetics

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1016/j.jecp.2011.08.013

start page

• 455

end page

• 467

volume

• 111

issue

• 3

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2011.08.013