ERIC Number: EJ1306731
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1547-5441
EISSN: N/A
Is 10 Better than 1? The Effect of Speaker Variability on Children's Cross-Situational Word Learning
Crespo, Kimberly; Kaushanskaya, Margarita
Language Learning and Development, v17 n4 p397-410 2021
The current study examined the effect of speaker variability on children's cross-situational word learning (XSWL). The study also examined the role of bilingual experience and sustained attention. Forty English monolingual children and 40 Spanish-English bilingual children ages 4-7 completed a XSWL task in a Single Speaker Condition and a Multiple Speaker Condition. Results indicated that speaker variability neither facilitated nor hindered XSWL. While monolingual children outperformed bilingual children, speaker-variability effects did not fluctuate across the two language groups. Notably, exposure to multiple speakers facilitated XSWL in children with poorer sustained attention skills, suggesting that variability in the input may be especially useful to children with poorer cognitive processing abilities.
Descriptors: Vocabulary Development, Task Analysis, Linguistic Input, Bilingualism, Monolingualism, Cognitive Processes, Cognitive Ability, Language Processing, Attention Control, Comparative Analysis, Second Language Learning, Spanish, English (Second Language), Preschool Children, Young Children, Phonemes, Language Tests
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Wisconsin (Madison)
Grant or Contract Numbers: F31DC019025; R01DC011750; T32DC0535913