ESL 970G Verb Identification ANSWER KEY
Babies
Raised In Bilingual Homes Learn New Words Differently Than Infants Learning One
Language
Source: Society for
Research in Child Development
Date: September 30, 2007
Words that
function as verbs in sentences are underlined; a footnote identifies the
tense and voice. Other words that might be confused as verbs are also footnoted
with an explanation.
Research on the
learning process for acquiring two languages from birth found[1]
differences in how bilingual babies learned[2]
words compared to[3] monolingual
babies. The research suggests[4]
that bilingual babies follow[5]
a slightly different pattern when using[6]
detailed[7]
sound information to learn differences between words.
Infants who are
raised[8]
in bilingual homes learned[9]
two similar-sounding words in a laboratory task at a later age than babies who are
raised[10]
in homes where only one language is spoken[11].
This
difference, which is thought[12]
to be advantageous for bilingual infants, appears[13]
to be due to the fact that bilingual babies need[14]
to devote their attention to the general associations between words and objects
(often a word in each language) for a longer period, rather than focusing on
detailed sound information. This finding suggests[15]
an important difference in the mechanics of how monolingual and bilingual
babies learn[16]
language.
These findings are[17]
from new research conducted[18]
at the University of British Columbia and Ottawa.
Immigration,
official language policies, and changing[19]
cultural norms mean[20]
that many infants are being raised[21]
bilingually. Because nearly all experimental work in
infant language development has focused[22]
on children who are[23]
monolingual, relatively little is known[24]
about the learning processes involved in acquiring two languages from birth.
The researchers
sought[25] to
determine whether the demands of acquiring more sounds and words lead[26]
to differences in language development. An important part of language
development is[27] the
ability to pay attention to native speech sounds to guide word learning. For example, English learners expect[28]
that the nonsense words "bih" and "dih" refer[29]
to different concepts because "b" and "d" are[30]
different consonant categories in English. By 17 months of age, monolingual
English infants use[31]
native-language speech-sound differences to guide them as they learn[32]
words. Do bilingual infants show[33]
a similar developmental pattern?
The study revealed[34]
that bilingual infants follow[35]
a slightly different pattern. Researchers tested[36]
bilingual children ages 14, 17, and 20 months on their ability to associate two
words that differed[37]
in a single consonant sound with two different objects. Experiment 1 included[38]
a heterogeneous sample of bilingual babies (i.e., those exposed[39]
to English and another language).
Experiment 2 tested[40]
two homogeneous groups of bilingual infants (English-French and
English-Chinese). In both experiments, infants were repeatedly presented[41]
with a crown-shaped object that was called "bih" and a
molecule-shaped object called "dih." They were then tested[42]
on their ability to notice a switch in an object's name (for example, the
molecule-shaped object being called "bih" instead of
"dih"). In all of the groups, the bilingual infants failed[43]
to notice the minimal change in the object's name until 20 months of age,
whereas monolingual infants noticed[44]
the change at 17 months.
This later use
of relevant language sounds (such as consonants) to direct word learning is[45]
due to the increased[46] demands of
learning two languages, the researchers suggest[47].
Ignoring the consonant detail in a new word may be[48]
an adaptive tool used by bilingual infants in learning new words. Outside the
laboratory, there is[49]
little cost to overlooking some of the consonant detail in new words, as there are[50]
few similar-sounding words in infants' early vocabularies. By paying less
attention to the detailed sound information in the word, bilingual infants can
devote[51]
more cognitive resources to making the links between words and objects.
Extending this
approach to word learning for a few months longer than monolinguals may help[52]
bilinguals "keep up"[53]
with their peers. Indeed, previous research has shown[54]
that bilinguals and monolinguals achieve[55]
language-learning milestones (such as speaking their first word) at similar
ages and have[56]
vocabularies of similar sizes when words from both languages are taken[57]
into account.
"Through
studies with bilingual infants, we can gain[58]
a deeper understanding of language development in all infants," according
to Christopher T. Fennell, assistant professor of psychology at the University
of Ottawa and the lead author of the study. "In addition, the findings
emerging[59]
from such studies will have[60]
practical implications for parents who are raising[61]
their children in a bilingual environment by revealing how young bilinguals acquire[62]
language."
Summarized from
Child Development, Vol. 78, Issue 5, Using Speech Sounds to Guide Word
Learning: The Case of Bilingual Infants by Fennell, CT (University of Ottawa),
Byers-Heinlein, K, and Werker, JF (University of British Columbia).
Note: This story has been
adapted[63]
from material provided[64]
by Society for Research in Child Development.
[1] Simple past, VT, active voice
[2] Simple past, VT, active voice. The first two verbs refer to a particular study that was conducted at a completed past time.
[3] compared to = in comparison to
[4] Simple present, a VT, ctive voice. People still read the research and infer meaning from the results.
[5] Simple present, VT, active voice. The information about the babies is in present tense to show a generalization based on the research.
[6] when using = when they are using
[7] Adjective, modifies information
[8] Simple present, passive voice. By their parents or other caregivers.
[9] Simple past, active voice
[10] Simple present, passive voice. By family members.
[11] Simple present, passive voice
[12] Simple present, passive voice. By researchers.
[13] Simple present, VI, active voice
[14] Simple present, VT, active voice
[15] Simple present, VT, active voice
[16] Simple present, VT, active voice
[17] Simple present, VI, active voice
[18] Relative adj phr from rel adj cl: research conducted = research that was conducted
[19] Adj, modifies norms
[20] Simple present, VT, active voice
[21] Present progressive, passive voice
[22] Present perfect, VI, passive voice
[23] Simple present, VI, active voice
[24] Simple present, passive voice. By anyone, due to research limitations.
[25] Simple
past, active voice, VT, past of seek
[26] Simple present, VI, active voice
[27] Simple present, VI, active voice
[28] Simple present, VT, active voice
[29] Simple present, VI, active voice
[30] Simple present, VI, active voice
[31] Simple present, VT, active voice
[32] Simple present, VT, active voice
[33] Simple present, VT, active voice, interrogative
[34] Simple past, VT, Active voice
[35] Simple present, VT, active voice
[36] Simple past, VT, active voice
[37] Simple past, VI, active voice
[38] Simple past, VT, active voice
[39] Relative adj phr from rel adj cl: those exposed = those who were exposed
[40] Simple past, active voice
[41] Simple past, VT, passive voice
[42] Simple past, passive voice
[43] Simple past, VT, active voice
[44] Simple past, VT, active voice
[45] Simple present, VI, active voice
[46] Adj
modifies demands
[47] Simple present, VT, active voice
[48] Present modal, VI
[49] Simple present, VI, active voice
[50] Simple present, VI, active voice
[51] Present modal, VT
[52] Present modal, VT
[53] Causative structure: help/let/have/make + sbdy/sthg + base form
[54] Present perfect, VT, passive voice
[55] Simple present, VT, active voice
[56] Simple present, active voice
[57] Simple present, VT, passive voice
[58] Present modal, VT
[59] Relative adj phr from rel adj cl: findings emerging = findings that are emerging
[60] Future, active voice
[61] Present progressive, passive voice
[62] Simple present, active voice
[63] Present perfect, passive voice
[64] Rel adj phr from rel adj cl: material provided = material that was provided