Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-mcfzb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-03-09T22:35:53.746Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The role of home and school factors in predicting English vocabulary among bilingual kindergarten children in Singapore

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2010

L. QUENTIN DIXON
L. QUENTIN DIXON*
Affiliation:
Texas A&M University
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE L. Quentin Dixon, Texas A&M University, 352 Harrington Tower, 4232 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4232. E-mail: Qdixon@tamu.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Research in monolingual populations indicate that vocabulary knowledge is essential to reading achievement, but how vocabulary develops in bilingual children has been understudied. The current study investigated the role of home and school factors in predicting English vocabulary among 284 bilingual kindergartners (168 Chinese, 65 Malay, 51 Indian) in the multilingual context of Singapore. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Third Edition was administered in English and in translations into Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Home factors including caretaker language, television language, and mother tongue vocabulary were found to be significant predictors of English vocabulary, controlling for mother's years of education and family income. The curriculum emphasis of the kindergarten center was also found to be a significant predictor of English vocabulary.

Type
Articles
Information
Applied Psycholinguistics , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 141 - 168
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bloom, P. (2000). How children learn the meanings of words. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carlisle, J. F., Beeman, M., Davis, L. H., & Spharim, G. (1999). Relationship of metalinguistic capabilities and reading achievement for children who are becoming bilingual. Applied Psycholinguistics, 20, 459–478.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chiappe, P., & Siegel, L. S. (1999). Phonological awareness and reading acquisition in English- and Punjabi-speaking Canadian children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 20–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cummins, J. (1979). Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of bilingual children. Review of Educational Research, 49, 222–251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cummins, J. (1984). Bilingualism and special education: Issues in assessment and pedagogy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
deGroot, G. (1994). Psychologists explain “Barney's” power. APA Monitor, 25, 4.Google Scholar
De Houwer, A. (1995). Bilingual language acquisition. In Fletcher, P. & MacWhinney, B. (Eds.), Handbook of child language (pp. 219–250). Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Dickinson, D. K., & Tabors, P. (2001). Beginning literacy with language. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.Google Scholar
Dixon, L. Q. (2005). Bilingual education policy in Singapore: An analysis of its sociohistorical roots and current academic outcomes. International Journal of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education, 8, 25–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dixon, L. Q. (2009). Assumptions behind Singapore's language-in-education policy: Implications for language planning and second language acquisition. Language Policy, 8, 117–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunn, L. M., Dunn, L. M., & Dunn, D. M. (1997). Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (3rd ed.). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.Google Scholar
Duursma, E., Romero-Contreras, S., Szuber, A., Proctor, P., Snow, C., August, D., et al. (2007). The role of home literacy and language environment on bilinguals’ English and Spanish vocabulary development. Applied Psycholinguistics, 28, 171–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gass, S. M., & Selinker, L. (2001). Second language acquisition: An introductory course. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geva, E., & Siegel, L. S. (2000). Orthographic and cognitive factors in the concurrent development of basic reading skills in two languages. Reading and Writing, 12, 1–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geva, E., Yaghoub-Zadeh, Z., & Schuster, B. (2000). Understanding individual differences in word recognition skills of ESL children. Annals of Dyslexia, 50, 123–154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gottardo, A. (2002). The relationship between language and reading skills in bilingual Spanish–English speakers. Topics in Language Disorders, 22, 46–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gunderson, L., & Clarke, D. K. (1998). An exploration of the relationship between ESL students' backgrounds and their English and academic achievement. In Shanahan, T. & Rodriguez-Brown, F. V. (Eds.), Yearbook of the National Reading Conference (pp. 264–273). Chicago: National Reading Conference.Google Scholar
Gupta, A. F. (1994). The step-tongue: Children's English in Singapore. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.Google Scholar
Hox, J. J. (1995). Applied multilevel analysis. Amsterdam: TT-Publikaties.Google Scholar
Jarovinskij, A. (1979). On the lexical competence of bilingual children of kindergarten age groups. International Journal of Psycholinguistics, 6, 43–57.Google Scholar
Koolstra, C. M., & Beentjes, J. W. J. (1999). Children's vocabulary acquisition in a foreign language through watching subtitled television programs at home. Educational Technology Research and Development, 47, 51–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kroll, J. F., & de Groot, A. M. B. (1997). Lexical and conceptual memory in the bilingual: Mapping form to meaning in two languages. In de Groot, A. M. B. & Kroll, J. F. (Eds.), Tutorials in bilingualism: Psycholinguistic perspectives (pp. 169–200). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Kwan-Terry, A. (1991). The economics of language in Singapore: Students’ use of extracurricular language lessons. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 2, 69–89.Google Scholar
Lambert, W. E. (1984). An overview of issues in immersion education. In Campbell, R. (Ed.), Studies in immersion education: A collection for United States educators (pp. 8–30). Sacramento, CA: California State Department of Education.Google Scholar
Lanauze, M., & Snow, C. E. (1989). The relation between first- and second-language writing skills: Evidence from Puerto Rican elementary school children in bilingual programs. Linguistics and Education, 1, 323–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Landauer, T. K., & Dumais, S. T. (1997). A solution to Plato's problem: The latent semantic analysis theory of acquisition, induction, and representation of knowledge. Psychological Review, 104, 211–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, M. O., Mullis, I. V. S., Gonzalez, E. J., Gregory, K. D., Smith, T. A., Chrostowski, S. J., et al. (2000). TIMSS 1999 international science report: Findings from IEA's repeat of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study at the Eighth Grade. Retrieved October 1, 2001, from http://timss.bc.edu/timss1999i/publications.htmlGoogle Scholar
Miccio, A. W., Tabors, P. O., Paez, M. M., Hammer, C. S., & Wagstaff, D. A. (2003). Vocabulary development of Spanish-speaking Head Start children of Puerto Rican descent. Paper presented at the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.Google Scholar
Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Gonzalez, E. J., Gregory, K. D., Garden, R. A., O'Connor, K. M., et al. (2000). TIMSS 1999 international mathematics report: Findings from IEA's repeat of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study at the eighth grade. Boston: Boston College, Lynch School of Education, International Study Center.Google Scholar
Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Gonzalez, E. J., & Kennedy, A. M. (2003). PIRLS 2001 international report: IEA's Study of Reading Literacy Achievement in Primary Schools. Chestnut Hill, MA: Boston College.Google Scholar
Muter, V., & Diethelm, K. (2001). The contribution of phonological skills and letter knowledge to early reading development in a multilingual population. Language Learning, 51, 187–219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oller, D. K., & Eilers, R. E. (2002). Language and literacy in bilingual children. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ordonez, C. L., Carlo, M. S., Snow, C. E., & McLaughlin, B. (2002). Depth and breadth of vocabulary in two languages: Which vocabulary skills transfer? Journal of Educational Psychology, 94, 719–728.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Preschool Education Unit. (2003). Nurturing early learners: A framework for a kindergarten curriculum in Singapore. Retrieved April 4, 2003, from http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/preschool/files/kindergarten-curriculum-framework.pdfGoogle Scholar
Raudenbush, S. W., & Bryk, A. S. (2002). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Rice, M. L., Huston, A. C., Truglio, R., & Wright, J. (1990). Words from “Sesame Street”: Learning vocabulary while viewing. Developmental Psychology, 26, 421–428.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rice, M. L., & Woodsmall, L. (1988). Lessons from television: Children's word learning when viewing. Child Development, 59, 420–429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rolla San Francisco, A., Carlo, M., August, D., & Snow, C. E. (2006). The role of language of instruction and vocabulary in English phonological awareness of Spanish–English bilingual children. Applied Psycholinguistics, 27, 229–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Romaine, S. (1995). Bilingualism. Malden, MA: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Scarborough, H. S. (1998). Early identification of children at risk for reading disabilities: Phonological awareness and some other promising predictors. In Shapiro, B. K., Accardo, P. J., & Capute, A. J. (Eds.), Specific reading disability: A view of the spectrum (pp. 75–119). Timonium, MD: York Press.Google Scholar
Scarborough, H. S. (2001). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory, and practice. In Neuman, S. B. & Dickinson, D. K. (Eds.), Handbook of early literacy research (pp. 97–110). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Singapore Department of Statistics. (2002). Key indicators of the resident population. Singapore: Singapore Government.Google Scholar
Singapore Ministry of Education. (2001). The Third International Mathematics and Science Study 1999 (TIMSS 1999): National report for Singapore. Singapore: Author.Google Scholar
Singapore Ministry of Education. (2002). Performance by ethnic group. Singapore: Author.Google Scholar
Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.Google Scholar
Swanson, H. L., Trainin, G., Necoechea, D. M., & Hammill, D. D. (2004). Rapid naming, phonological awareness and reading: A meta-analysis of the correlation evidence. Review of Educational Research, 73, 407–440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taeschner, T. (1983). Does the bilingual child possess twice the lexicon of a monolingual child? Rassegna Italiana di Linguistica Applicata, 15, 179–188.Google Scholar
Uchikoshi, Y. (2006). English vocabulary development in bilingual kindergartners: What are the best predictors? Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 9, 33–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Umbel, V. M., Pearson, B. Z., Fernandez, M. C., & Oller, D. K. (1992). Measuring bilingual children's receptive vocabularies. Child Development, 63, 1012–1020.Google ScholarPubMed
UNESCO. (2000). World education report 2000. The right to education: Towards education for all throughout life. Paris: Author.Google Scholar
Verhoeven, L. T. (1994). Transfer in bilingual development: The linguistic interdependence hypothesis revisited. Language Learning, 44, 381–415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vermeer, A. (2001). Breadth and depth of vocabulary in relation to L1/L2 acquisition and frequency of input. Applied Psycholinguistics, 22, 217–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willenberg, I. A. (2004). Getting set for reading in the Rainbow Nation: Emergent literacy skills and literacy environments of children in South Africa. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.Google Scholar