+

Shaping the bilingual advantages from early ages: for whom, when and how?

María Luisa ParraHarvard University

Seventh Heritage Language Research Institute:Heritage Speakers and the Advantages of Bilingualism

June 17-21, 2013

+Advocating for bilingualism

Cognitive

Social and

Cultural advantages

+ Different social circumstances under which a child can become bilingual (Skutnabb-Kangas, 1984).

Children belong to the (elite) group where parents choose to give them the opportunity to learn languages as part of their education.

Others belong to linguistic majorities that because of linguistic policies of their government, their education is in a different language that the one spoken at home.

  Children belonging to bilingual families.  Children from linguistic minorities that, along with

their parents do not have another choice but to learn the main stream language.

+ Language maintenance and Bilingualism: Advantage or disadvantage? It must be borne in mind that the development of language,

and hence bilinguality, is part and parcel of the socialization process through which a child becomes a member of a given social group.

“The bilingual’s development and behavior cannot be considered independenly from society, its structure and its cultural dimension.(Hamers & Blanc, 2001. p.198 ).

Hakuta (1986): The field of bilingual development and heritage language maintenance should deal with the individual and the circumstances that surround him at the onset and beyond of her bilingual development.

+Central conceptThe active child…Child develops (cognition,

social, skills, language) through participation in cultural contexts, socialization practices and meaningful interactions through dialogue with significant others (parents, siblings, teachers, peers).

+Language development: process intertwined with other aspects of development

Language B

Cognitive development

Social / cultural development

Emotional development

Language A

Anchored in daily practices and interactions

+Importance of family for child’s socialization and language maintenance (Fishman, 2006)

“ Family is the very building-block of intergenerational transmission”

 “It is in the family that social support and transactions with the community have traditionally been initiated and nurtured. It is also in the family that social commitments have traditionally been nurtured” (p.104).

+School programs for immigrant children

Regular English program

ESL

Sheltered English

Bilingual programsTwo wayTransitional

Early exitLate exit

+Objetctives To present data from a one-year longitudinal

study of four Latino children in a transitional bilingual kindergarten program in the Boston area.

To show how the interplay between home and school relations shape bilingual advantages from early ages.

Will use an ecological framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) to conceptualized Spanish maintenance and English acquisition as part of the school adaptation process (García-Sellers, 1996).

Peers/Siblings

School

Religious setting

Home

The Ecological Model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979)

Community

Culture

+Mesosystem: Interaction between the Home-School microsystems

Family SystemSchool System

•Structure•Roles•History•Expectations•Values•Resources

•History•Structure•Roles•Expectations•Values•SES•Stability•Overall satisfaction

Culture CultureOrganize behaviors

through

System of believes

(Super & Harkness, 2002)

Organize behaviors

through

System of believes

Language Language

Attitudes towards other cultures and languages

Attitudes towards host cultures and language

Conceptual Model of Home-School Relations Garcia Sellers, MJ (1996)

Home

School

Home

School

Child

Home

School

Child

Home

School

Child

Unadapted Transferred Adapted Adapted with Support

Child

Home

School

Child

In the modal U.S. family, there is a large overlap between home and school culture that facilitates the child’s adaptation to school.For immigrant families there is little or no overlap, thus requiring significant adjustment by the child in order to adapt.

+Transitional bilingual programs:“In theory” aim to provide continuity between home and school through instruction in the home language.

Home

School

ChildSpanish Spanish

+However…

García-Sellers, Liva-Stein & García (2000) found in a longitudinal study three developmental patters of Spanish/English bilingual development within transitional bilingual programs:

Both languages develop English develops / Spanish stagnates Both languages develop

Patterns of language preference and proficiency change over time. Spanish is the language with most variability and the language at risk.

+The Home-School Connection Program (Tufts University) Goals

To facilitate school transition

To promote school success of children

To strengthen communication between teachers and parents through common goals

HSCP © 2002

15

Academic and social success:

A triangular process

TeacherFamily

I

Where to start building support for immigrant children?

SchoolFamily

Wellbeing and development

From The Home-School Connection Program, Tufts University

Child

DefiningCommon Goals

+Methodology

Developmental Psychology (Ecological model, Bronfenbrenner, 1979):Child development in context.

Sociolinguistics: Language(s) use in society and power relations.

Ethnography: the nuances of school and families realities and interactions (Home visits and classroom observations).

Mediation between parents and teachers.

+Three sources of information

Mother

TeacherMediator

+Concepts

Continuity and communication between home and school

Child’s transition from home to school.

Role of perception (parents, teacher, mediator) in assessing child’s language development, academic achievement and social behavior.

+

September

1st. Home Visit

November

Classroom Observatio

n

JanuaryLanguage

Picture Naming /Child

interview

March/April

Teacher Interview

March

Phone follow up

June

2nd. home visit

Important dates in the year

+Four case studies

Santos

Krissia

Leonard

Bryan

+Santos

Only child

Shy, obedient.

Parents from El Salvador (4 years in the US).

Both parents speak Spanish to Santos (Mother doesn’t know English).

Mother's education: 2nd grade

Father: No formal education. Poor relation with Santos

+Krissia

Youngest sister.

Active, rebellious, very social

Mother from Honduras (15 years in the US)

Mother's education: Paraprofesional in Honduras (Equivalent to US high school). Owner of a daycare center at her house.

Both parents speak Spanish and English but only speak Spanish with girls.

+Leonard

Second son on three childrenQuiet, serious, even sad look. "Good boy"

"Sometimes doesn't listen."Parents left him in Peru with grandmother.Mother’s education: High SchoolThey brought him to the US with them after 2

years.Moved three times in a year and a half.

+Bryan

6 years old

Good boy, loving, active.

Born in Honduras. Arrived to the U.S at 2.

Mother has 6 years in US

Mothers education: College

Parents and Bryan live at uncle's house

+All four mothers…

Spoke only Spanish to children

Wanted children to go to college

Expected children to maintain Spanish and learn English

Supportive

+Language use at home (reported by mothers) (September)

SantosPrefers Spanish (“too shy to

speak English”)

KrissiaIntermix

Spanish with parentsEnglish with siblings, and sometimes with parents

LeonardIntermix with older sister

BryanIntermix.

English with cousins

All mothers speak only Spanish to children

+Things that child and mother did together

SantosTalk

Household choresErrands

KrissiaPlay games

Talk

LeonardRead

Draw or paint

Play gamoes (legos)

BryanTalk

+Fist home visit assessment (reported by mediator)

SantosIdentified colors

ShapesCounted 1-10

Writes name (letter inversion)

Named letter “a” and “e”

Only in Spanish

KrissiaIdentified colors

ShapesCounted 1-10Writes name

Couldn’t name lettersOnly Spanish

LeonardIdentified colors

ShapesCounted 1-10Writes name

Confused between letters and numbers

Spanish/English

BryanIdentified colors

ShapesCounted 1-10*Writes name

Identifies letters in English

+At school

+School experience previous to K

SantosHead StartStudious

Krissia Head StartNeeds to be

pushed

LeonardAttended Pre-K in

Peru. Regular K in CA

Repeating K in MANeeds to be pushed

BryanSmile

Studious

+Name Academic program Change in the middle of school year

Santos Transitional Bilingual RECOMENDEDMs. Díaz (Spanish speaker, Puerto Rico)

Krissia Transitional BilingualREQUESTEDMs. Peterson (English speaker, bilingual)

Transitional BilingualMs. Díaz

Leonard Transitional BilingualRECOMENDEDMs. Peterson

Transitional BilingualMs. Díaz

Bryan English regularREQUESTEDMs. Lynch (English speaker)

+Classroom observation: Language use in classroom activities/outside classroom activities with peers (reported by mediator) (November)

• Bryan• Spanish/

English

• Leonard• Spanish/

English

• Krissia• Spanish/

English

• Santos• Spanish

Spanish/

Spanish

Spanish/

Spanish

English/English

Spanish/

Spanish-English

At home

At School

+Child’s language in interaction with teacher (reported by teacher) (March/April)Child Teacher’s language of interaction

with child

Santos Spanish (Miss Díaz)Krissia Spanish/English (Miss Peterson)

Leonard Spanish/English (Miss Peterson)

Bryan English

+Child Interview (January)

Santos Krissia Leonard Bryan

Which languages do you speak

Sp./Eng. Child added English

Sp./Eng. Sp./Eng. Sp./Eng.

Language preference for interview

Spanish Spanish Spanish English

+Child language preference  Santos Krissia Leonard Bryan

What language do you like to speak with other children(All consistent with mediator observations)

Spanish Sp./Eng. Sp./Eng. Sp./Eng. But added Spanish 

with your teacher (All consistent w/teacher)

Spanish Spanish Sp./Eng. English

at home(All consistent w/mother) 

Spanish Sp./Eng. Sp./Eng. Spanish

+Preference and Proficiency in Spanish and English (Picture Naming)

Santos Krissia Leonard Brain0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

English proficiencyEnglish preferenceSpanish proficiencySpanish preference

Bryan

+Miss Peterson retired…Krissia and Leonard go to Miss Díaz classroom

+ Language use (reported by teacher): Language use un classroom activities/outside classroom activities (April)

• Bryan• Spanish/

English

• Leonard• Spanish/

English

• Krissia• Spanish/

English

• Santos• Spanish

Spanish/Spanish

& English

Spanish/Spanis

h

English/English

Spanish/Spanis

h

Miss Díaz adds information: Santos speaks English (mother and mediator reported Spanish only). She also reports only Spanish for Krissia and Leonard (mother and former teacher reported use on both Spanish and English).

At home

At School

+Teacher Interview (April)  Santos Krissia Leonard Bryan

Is the child quiet Yes Yes Yes No

Is the child withdrawn No No No No

Does the child needs more of your presence than other children

No No Yes Yes

Do you have any concerns None Attention in class

Attention in class

ReadingWritingSocial skillsAttention in class

In which area has the child manifested strengths

LanguageMotor skillsSocial skillsAttention in class

Motor skillsSocial skills

Motor skills (art)

Motor skillsLetter and sound recognition

Is the child enjoying school Yes Yes Yes Yes

Has the child adjusted to the class

Yes Yes Yes Yes

+Phone follow up: Academics and social skills (reported by mother)

SantosConcerned that he was too shy

• Doing pretty well.• Likes Kinder and doesn’t complain. He says he has friends and talks about activities and games.

• He can express himself better.

• He has learn letters and numbers

• He has improved his relationship with is father.

• He is organized, clean.• Mother is concerned about new baby arriving soon (Who will bring Santos to school?)

Krissia. Talks too much. Very active and social.

• Very good• She loved previous teacher. She doesn’t like new one “She is mean.” (Mother knows girl likes to talk too much and teacher reprimands her).

• Talks about her friends and things they do.

• She has learned letters and numbers.

• Mother is not concerned: “Krissia is learning and ready for next year.”

At the beginning of the year

Follow uplate March

+Follow up: Academics and social skills (reported by mother)

Leonard Introverted. Didn’t want to go to school. Serious, sad look.

• Fine• He doesn’t say much about school.

• He didn`t like previous teacher but with new teacher he seems to be doing better.

• Doesn`t say much about friends.

• He has learned not good manners from other boy. He is becoming more aggressive and jealous of new baby. Mother says he has a difficult temperament and not everybody likes him.

• Mother concerned about academic progress.

Bryan Too active at school

• Very well. Much better• He says everything is going well.

• He is happy and learning numbers and art.

• He likes to play with classmates.

• Bryan in more settled and less active.

• Teacher says his behavior has improved and he is doing very well.

• Mother is not concerned anymore.

At the beginning of the year

Follow up late March

+Follow up: Language changes over time (Reported by mothers)

SantosPrefers Spanish

• “Has improved his Spanish. He has also learned some words in English.” He prefers Spanish. He is too shy to speak English with other kids in his classroom.*

Krissia. Spanish with parents. English with siblings.

• “She is learning a lot of English.” Mother says she also sees some progress in Spanish. “She prefers English with cousins. She translates a lot.”

At the beginning of the year

By late Macrh

+Language changes over time (Reported by mothers)

Leonard Intermix with older sister

• “Apparently he prefers more English. At least that is the language he seems to be learning more”

Bryan Intermix. English with cousins.

• “He has improved in both but prefers English.”

At the beginning of the year

By lateMarch

+Academics at the end of the year (reported by teacher)

Santos Krissia Leonard Bryan

Taking into account the overall academic performance, how would you rate the child in the class

Top third Middle third Bottom third Bottom third

What do you think parents could do more in order to support the child school progress

Nothing more

Academics at home

Academics at homeWork on daily routine

Set limits at home

+Mother-Teacher relationsSantos

TBP RecommendedWanted to help

in classroomMet teacher

around 10 times during school

year

KrissiaTBP Requested

Wanted to communicate with teacher

when necessaryMet 2-4 times

LeonardTBP

RecommendedDidn’t know how to get involved in

school Met 2-4 times

BryanTBP Requested

Wanted to communicate with teacher

when necessaryMet 2-4 times

+Individual and social factors that shaped Spanish development and English acquisition and academic success

Within social contexts (immigrant population/bilingual families) there are important individual differences that result from: Child temperament Family circumstances Relationship between parents and child (supportive?) Schooling options and parental choices (would support parents

expectations?) Relationship between parents and teachers (continuous? /

agreement in perception of child’s linguistic and academic abilities?)

Relationship between teacher and child (supportive?)

+Ecological perspectiveHornberger and Wang (2008)

: “[...] [Heritage language learners] do not learn or use one, two or more languages in isolation. Consequently, there is no single profile of [heritage language learners].

Taken from this perspective, these individuals, their interactions with the people around them, and their dynamic interface with the social, educational, cultural, economic and political institutions constitute an ecological system.

In such system, individuals are the center of inquiry, but they are also always a part of a larger system which they shape and are shaped by various factors in the system.” (p. 6).

+An interdisciplinary and integral approach to language maintenance and to educate the next generation of heritage parents and teachers.

Education

Developmental Psychology

Sociolinguistics

Ethnography

+

THANK YOU!