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Annotated Bibliography Project: Bilingual Acquisition

Arleth Kareli Lozano

San Diego State University

Linguistic 452

August 14, 2023

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Annotated Bibliography

Topic: Bilingual Acquisition

Research Questions:

1. What is bilingual acquisition?

2. What are the factors that influence language development in bilingual children?

3. How does the age of bilingual exposure affect language proficiency in children?

Antonova-Ünlü, E. (2018). Syntax–pragmatic and morphology–pragmatic interfaces in

sequential bilingual language acquisition: The case of Russia-Turkish and

English-Turkish bilingual children. International Journal of Bilingualism.

[Link]

The information in the study focuses on how children learn Turkish as their second

language (cL2) and develop specific language skills, such as using words in sentences and

labeling objects. The researchers studied three groups: children who learned Turkish after

learning another language (sequentially bilingual), children who only knew Turkish

(monolingual), and children who were bilingual from birth. The researchers asked the children to

tell stories so they could study how they used words. The study shows that some aspects of

language development are similar for monolingual and bilingual children from birth. However,

sequentially bilingual children's language development depends on when they started learning

Turkish and how much they used the other language they already knew. This comprehensive

study significantly aids in our understanding of how factors such as the age of exposure to the

second language and the frequency at which children utilize their first language affect the

development of children's language skills.

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Calderón, S. S., & Fuertes, R. F. (2022). The acquisition of English active and passive

monotransitive constructions by English–Spanish simultaneous bilingual children.

International Journal of Bilingualism, 26(4), 502–526.

[Link]

The purpose of this study was to investigate how children who speak both English and

Spanish acquire the ability to correctly use active and passive sentence structures in English. The

researchers compare the language acquisition of these bilingual children to that of children who

only speak English. They are interested in determining whether or not children who speak two

languages acquire an understanding of grammatical structures in the same manner as children

who speak only one language. In addition to this, they investigate how the differences in the

ways these words are used in English and Spanish might have an impact on the way that

bilingual children acquire knowledge. According to the results of the study, the use of passive

voice in both languages does not impede the progress of bilingual children in their language

acquisition. Overall, the study contributes to our understanding of how bilingual children acquire

complex English sentences and how their learning compares to that of children who speak only

one language.

De Cat, C., & Unsworth, S. (2023). So many variables, but what causes what? Journal of Child

Language, 50(4), 832–836. [Link]

This article offers a valuable analysis of a crucial discourse regarding the factors

influencing language proficiency in bilingual children, making it a significant scholarly

contribution. This paper proposes the integration of a new approach known as "causal inference"

to further investigate the complex interconnections that contribute to different aspects of

language development in bilingual children. The authors emphasize the potential impact of
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various factors on modifying linguistic abilities, emphasizing the possibility of both positive

improvements and negative consequences. The importance of this study lies in its relevance to

researchers interested in understanding the complexities of the development of bilingual

languages. Through the adoption of this new approach, scholars are able to obtain a

comprehensive perspective from which to investigate the complex factors that influence

language proficiency in bilingual children. The utilization of this progressive approach enhances

the capacity for a deeper comprehension of the complex elements that shape language

proficiency in these juvenile students, providing a valuable asset for the progression of bilingual

language instruction.

Duncan, T. S., & Paradis, J. (2018). How does maternal education influence the linguistic

environment supporting bilingual language development in child second language

learners of English? International Journal of Bilingualism, 24(1), 46–61.

[Link]

This study investigates how the educational level of mothers affects the amount of

language input they give to their children when those children are learning English as a second

language (L2). The findings of the study showed that a mother's level of education, as well as the

language in which she received her education, played a significant role in determining the

language that she used when interacting with her children. It was found that mothers who had

received the majority of their education in their native language were more likely to speak that

language to their children. On the other hand, if they had received the majority of their education

in the second language, they were more likely to communicate with their offspring in that

language. The research shows that the level of education a mother has an effect on how a
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bilingual child learns to speak, and it also highlights the difficulties associated with learning a

second language in an environment that is already bilingual.

Garivaldo, B., & Fabiano-Smith, L. (2023). Reframing bilingual acquisition and theory: An

insider perspective through a translanguaging lens. Language, Speech, and Hearing

Services in Schools, 54(3), 765–780. [Link]

This article provides an extensive and insightful examination of bilingual acquisition and

theory, with a particular focus on the transformative concept of translanguaging. The authors

carefully move through this discussion as they look at the importance of translanguaging in

bilingual communities and the effects it has on the development of language. This study, which is

innovative, challenges traditional paradigms by asking us to change the way we think in order to

see how the process of learning a second language is made up of many complex threads. This

new way of looking at languages focuses on how they interact with each other and shows how

complicated it is for people to use their language skills in different bilingual settings. So, this

study helps us learn more about the role that language plays in these complicated sociolinguistic

environments. This research also gives us a solid foundation for understanding bilingualism and

the many different factors that affect it.

Gatt, D., Baldacchino, R., & Dodd, B. (2020). Which measure of socioeconomic status best

predicts bilingual lexical abilities and how? A focus on four-year-olds exposed to two

majority languages. Journal of Child Language, 47(4), 737–765.

[Link]

The information in this research looks at how various aspects of a child's family life can

have an effect on their vocabulary development as a preschooler while they are growing up in a

country that is officially recognized as having two official languages. The researchers were
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interested in how well the children could understand and communicate in both English and

Maltese. They came to the conclusion that the overall measure of the family background was the

most significant factor in predicting the children's vocabulary skills. There was a correlation

between having a better family background and having a better understanding of correct sounds

in both languages; however, having a better family background did not necessarily lead to

improved speaking abilities in either language. The results of this study help us understand how a

bilingual child's family background can impact their vocabulary skills in a country with more

than one official language.

Kupisch, T., & Rothman, J. (2016). Terminology matters! Why difference is not incompleteness

and how early child bilinguals are heritage speakers. International Journal of

Bilingualism, 22(5), 564–582. [Link]

This paper investigates how children who grow up speaking two languages are able to

improve their comprehension of adults who speak those same languages as heritage languages. It

discusses "incomplete acquisition," which is a term that is used to show the differences between

people who speak one language and those who inherit languages. According to the findings of

the study, heritage language speakers can improve their understanding of the language they have

been exposed to since birth through exposure to the language itself as well as through learning

the language from others. In addition to this, it suggests that in order to comprehend how adults

acquire their native languages, investigate how children acquire two languages at the same time.

The research paper recommends switching up the language that is used when discussing what

occurs to heritage speakers. In general, the findings of this research provide information on how

the use of a heritage language develops from childhood into adulthood.

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Seker, E. (2018). Bilingual acquisition of English and Turkish languages: A case study of a

Turkish infant. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies.

This case study examines the development of language skills in an infant from Turkey

who was exposed to both the Turkish language and the English language. The investigation

focuses on how a child navigates the simultaneous acquisition of two languages and identifies

recurring developmental patterns within a bilingual context. The findings of the study shed light

on the challenges that are inherent in this journey and provide valuable insights into the process

through which young children master the art of conversing in two languages. By analyzing the

events that occurred in the life of this particular infant, we are able to gain a deeper

understanding of the complexities associated with the acquisition of two languages during the

early years of childhood. The implications of the study extend to explaining the complexities of

linguistic development in similar settings, which can serve as a guide for parents, educators, and

researchers who are working with bilingual children.

Torregrossa, J., Andreou, M., Bongartz, C., & Tsimpli, I. M. (2021). Bilingual acquisition of

reference: The role of language experience, executive functions, and cross-linguistic

effects. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 24(4), 694–706.

[Link]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the reasons why bilingual children refer to the

same thing in different ways when they speak. The participants in this study are 125 children

who are bilingual in Greek and another language, such as Greek and Albanian, Greek and

English, or Greek and German. The researchers listen to the children recount their experiences

and then analyze the manner in which they discuss various topics, sometimes providing

insufficient or excessive detail. The children's linguistic competence and cognitive abilities are
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investigated in this study as well, with the goal of determining the extent to which these

characteristics impact the children's linguistic behavior. This research has the potential to provide

valuable insights that can support the language development of bilingual children as well as

assist teachers and researchers in better understanding and helping bilingual children. These

insights can be gained by understanding the factors that affect how bilingual children express

themselves.

Unsworth, S., Brouwer, S., De Bree, E., & Verhagen, J. (2019). Predicting bilingual

preschoolers’ patterns of language development: Degree of non-native input matters.

Applied Psycholinguistics, 40(05), 1189–1219.

[Link]

This study investigated how the language that bilingual preschoolers hear affects the

development of both of their languages. According to the findings, the degree of exposure to the

target language is more important than the total amount of time spent doing so. It was not enough

for children to spend a lot of time with native speakers; it also mattered how well people who

were not native speakers could communicate in the target language. According to the findings of

the study, the language abilities of bilingual children are significantly influenced both by the

abilities of non-native speakers and by the overall quality of language input. This insight is

valuable for parents, teachers, and researchers who are looking for ways to improve bilingual

children's language learning. Understanding that the manner in which language is used matters

more than simply the frequency with which it is used can help direct efforts to provide effective

language environments for young learners who want to excel in multiple languages.
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Valentini, A., & Serratrice, L. (2021). What can bilingual children tell us about the

developmental relationship between vocabulary and grammar? Cognitive Science, 45(11).

[Link]

Understanding the relationship between the development of a child's vocabulary and their

grammatical skills is the primary focus of this article. The authors conduct an analysis of data

gathered from bilingual children to determine whether or not a person's vocabulary and grammar

skills advance concurrently or influence one another during the process of language acquisition.

The research sheds light on the complex interplay of factors that play a role in bilingual people's

efforts to become fluent in a third language. The research helps shed light on the complexities of

bilingual language acquisition by investigating the developmental connection that exists between

vocabulary and grammar. This investigation sheds light on the question of whether these aspects

of language learning come together in a harmonious manner or interact in nuanced ways

throughout the process of acquisition. The findings highlight the multifaceted challenges that

bilingual individuals face as they embark on the journey of acquiring a new language. The

findings also offer valuable insights for educators, parents, and researchers engaged in the

process of facilitating effective language learning experiences for bilingual learners.

Xue, J., Hu, X., Yan, R., Wang, H., Chen, X., & Li, M. (2019). Onset age of language acquisition

effects in a foreign language context: Evidence from Chinese–English bilingual children.

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 50(2), 239–260.

[Link]

This study investigates whether or not there is a correlation between the age at which

Chinese children begin learning English and their eventual proficiency in both languages. They

examined 85 Chinese children of varying ages who were taught English as a second language
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and evaluated both their Chinese and English linguistic and cognitive abilities. According to the

findings of the research, the age at which children began studying English had varying effects on

the children's abilities in both languages. Also, the timing of exposure to both languages plays an

important part in the formation of bilingualism, which runs counter to the common belief that

beginning language learning at an earlier age always results in greater linguistic competence.

These findings provide important new information about the process by which children acquire a

second language and highlight the significance of taking into account the age at which bilingual

exposure begins as a critical factor in determining the level of language proficiency in bilingual

children.