INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 10 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 09:00 am - 10:15 am Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental \| Congenital Conditions Final Abstract #99 Predictors of Emergent Literacy in Bilingual children with Developmental Language Disorder Lisa Verbeek, Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, Netherlands Tijs Kleemans, Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, Netherlands Constance Vissers, Royal Kentalis, Utrecht, Netherlands Eliane Segers, Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, Netherlands Ludo Verhoeven, Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, Netherlands Category: Language and Speech Functions/Aphasia Keyword 1: bilingualism/multilingualism Keyword 2: language disorder Keyword 3: phonology Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the executive functioning (EF) and L1 and L2 phonological skills in bilingual preschoolers with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and their impact on vocabulary and emergent literacy at kindergarten. These young bilinguals face the challenge of learning to read in their L2 with relatively limited exposure to this language, on top of their DLD, and also while their EF and L1 are also still in development. However, as of yet, the predictors of bilingual vocabulary and emergent L2 literacy skills in young bilinguals with DLD are not well-understood, hampering the early identification and support for those at risk of future language and reading difficulties. Therefore, this research specifically examined (1) how bilingual children with DLD differed from typically developing (TD) bilingual and TD and DLD monolingual peers, and (2) to what extent EF and L1 and L2 phonological skills are related to L1 and L2 vocabulary and L2 emergent literacy in TD and DLD bilinguals. Participants and Methods: We will present data from 160 Dutch monolinguals and Turkish/Polish-Dutch bilinguals with typical development and DLD. At preschool (M_AGE = 3;8 years;months), participants completed phonological (i.e., L1 Turkish/Polish and L2 Dutch speech production), vocabulary (i.e., L1 Turkish/Polish and L2 Dutch receptive vocabulary), and EF tasks (i.e., phonological working memory and selective attention). At kindergarten (M_AGE = 5;8 years;months), children performed several tasks targeting emergent literacy in Dutch: phonological awareness (i.e., syllable synthesis, phoneme synthesis, and rhyme awareness), lexical retrieval (i.e., Rapid Autonomized Naming), and letter knowledge. Results: Preliminary results revealed notable differences between the groups. DLD bilinguals exhibited poorer L1 and L2 preschool phonological skills compared to the other groups. Bilinguals, in general, showed weaker preschool L2 vocabulary skills than monolinguals, while children with DLD displayed weaker preschool EF and kindergarten L2 phonological awareness compared to TD peers. Concerning the associations with preschool vocabulary within TD and DLD bilinguals, those with better selective attention tended to have relatively good vocabulary skills in both L1 and L2. Regarding the emergent literacy predictors, bilingual phonological skills predicted later L2 phonological awareness in both TD and DLD bilinguals. Bilingual vocabulary skills predicted L2 letter knowledge. Conclusions: We tentatively conclude that selective attention and phonological skills are important to vocabulary and L2 emergent literacy in both TD and DLD bilingual contexts. Our preliminary findings indicated that precisely these skills may be affected in DLD bilinguals, just as they are in DLD monolinguals, although bilingual’s phonological deficits may be aggravated due to less exposure to each language. We will discuss these integrated findings and their implications for clinical practice, aiming to provide insights into the relationships between language, EF, and early literacy in children with and without DLD from different cultural backgrounds. The outcomes prompt further research on relations between DLD, bilingual language, and cognition in both monolingual and multilingual learning settings.

Poster

02/17/2024
09:00 am - 10:15 am
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental | Congenital Conditions

Final Abstract #99

Predictors of Emergent Literacy in Bilingual children with Developmental Language Disorder

Lisa Verbeek, Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Tijs Kleemans, Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Constance Vissers, Royal Kentalis, Utrecht, Netherlands
Eliane Segers, Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Ludo Verhoeven, Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, Netherlands

Category: Language and Speech Functions/Aphasia

Keyword 1: bilingualism/multilingualism
Keyword 2: language disorder
Keyword 3: phonology

Objective:

The objective of this study was to explore the executive functioning (EF) and L1 and L2 phonological skills in bilingual preschoolers with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and their impact on vocabulary and emergent literacy at kindergarten. These young bilinguals face the challenge of learning to read in their L2 with relatively limited exposure to this language, on top of their DLD, and also while their EF and L1 are also still in development. However, as of yet, the predictors of bilingual vocabulary and emergent L2 literacy skills in young bilinguals with DLD are not well-understood, hampering the early identification and support for those at risk of future language and reading difficulties.

Therefore, this research specifically examined (1) how bilingual children with DLD differed from typically developing (TD) bilingual and TD and DLD monolingual peers, and (2) to what extent EF and L1 and L2 phonological skills are related to L1 and L2 vocabulary and L2 emergent literacy in TD and DLD bilinguals.

Participants and Methods:

We will present data from 160 Dutch monolinguals and Turkish/Polish-Dutch bilinguals with typical development and DLD. At preschool (M_AGE = 3;8 years;months), participants completed phonological (i.e., L1 Turkish/Polish and L2 Dutch speech production), vocabulary (i.e., L1 Turkish/Polish and L2 Dutch receptive vocabulary), and EF tasks (i.e., phonological working memory and selective attention). At kindergarten (M_AGE = 5;8 years;months), children performed several tasks targeting emergent literacy in Dutch: phonological awareness (i.e., syllable synthesis, phoneme synthesis, and rhyme awareness), lexical retrieval (i.e., Rapid Autonomized Naming), and letter knowledge.

Results:

Preliminary results revealed notable differences between the groups. DLD bilinguals exhibited poorer L1 and L2 preschool phonological skills compared to the other groups. Bilinguals, in general, showed weaker preschool L2 vocabulary skills than monolinguals, while children with DLD displayed weaker preschool EF and kindergarten L2 phonological awareness compared to TD peers.

Concerning the associations with preschool vocabulary within TD and DLD bilinguals, those with better selective attention tended to have relatively good vocabulary skills in both L1 and L2.

Regarding the emergent literacy predictors, bilingual phonological skills predicted later L2 phonological awareness in both TD and DLD bilinguals. Bilingual vocabulary skills predicted L2 letter knowledge.

Conclusions:

We tentatively conclude that selective attention and phonological skills are important to vocabulary and L2 emergent literacy in both TD and DLD bilingual contexts. Our preliminary findings indicated that precisely these skills may be affected in DLD bilinguals, just as they are in DLD monolinguals, although bilingual’s phonological deficits may be aggravated due to less exposure to each language.

We will discuss these integrated findings and their implications for clinical practice, aiming to provide insights into the relationships between language, EF, and early literacy in children with and without DLD from different cultural backgrounds. The outcomes prompt further research on relations between DLD, bilingual language, and cognition in both monolingual and multilingual learning settings.