The role of relationship quality in vocabulary acquisition : evidence from Spanish-speaking preschoolers
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Language acquisition is a process that requires frequent social interactions in which children receive input, practice opportunities, and feedback (Duursma et al., 2007), which influence children's subsequent vocabulary skills. For dual language learners, skills in both languages are a reflection of the quantity and quality of linguistic input received in each language as well as the opportunities for practice and feedback during social interactions (Palermo et al., 2014). The qualities of adult-child relationships during these social interactions may influence the association between input received and child language outcomes. Guided by sociocultural, sociolinguistic, and attachment theoretical frameworks, the present study used a sample of Spanish-speaking preschoolers to examine the role of adult-child relationships as a moderator in the association between the quantity of linguistic input in Spanish and English from parents and teachers and children's later receptive and expressive vocabulary skills in both languages. The findings revealed direct associations between the quantity of input in English and Spanish from teachers and parents and children's expressive and receptive vocabulary skills. Notably, teacher-child relationships and parenting behavior qualities moderated some of these associations. The findings highlight how the contributions of parents' and teachers' linguistic experiences to Spanish-speaking preschoolers' vocabulary skills in English and Spanish may vary as a function of children's relationship qualities with teachers and parents.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. Copyright held by author.