SRCD Presentation
April 2019
Lu Yang, Aya Williams, Qing Zhou and Yuuko Uchikoshi presented on ”Language Environment, Parental Attitudes and Acculturation among Dual Language Learners in Head Start”
Abstract: Dual language learners (DLLs) make up 32% of young children (age 0 to 8) in the U.S. (Park, O’Toole, & Katsiaficas, 2017). Spanish and Chinese are the top two home languages spoken in DLLs’ families (Park, O’Toole, & Katsiaficas, 2017).
The current study examined the levels of vocabulary in English and in the heritage language for Spanish-Speaking and Chinese-speaking DLLs attending Head Start. It further explored whether there are differences between Mexican American (MA) and Chinese American (CA) in terms of vocabulary, language environment, parental attitudes, and acculturation.
We found that dual language learners in our sample lag behind monolingual English peers in both English and heritage language vocabulary. Mexican-American and Chinese-American immigrant families are similar in their home language environment and in their children’s vocabulary. However, parents reported that Mexican American children speak more heritage language with their teachers in Head Start. In addition, Mexican American parents considered their heritage language to be more important for their children than the Chinese-American parents did, despite having a higher American culture orientation in terms of acculturation.
