Language exposure, ethnolinguistic identity and attitudes in the acquisition of Hebrew as a second language among bilingual preschool children from Russian- and English-speaking backgrounds
-
Sharon Armon-Lotem
Abstract
This chapter examines the influence of sociolinguistic and exposure factors on second language (L2) proficiency in Russian-Hebrew and English-Hebrew (second generation) preschool children. The children come from two distinct ethnolinguistic populations with different motivations for immigration and different opportunities for linguistic exposure. Sociolinguistic factors include measures of ethnolinguistic identity and attitudes to speakers and languages. Quantitative L2 exposure is investigated in terms of chronological age, age of onset of language acquisition, and length of language exposure to the target language. Quality of L2 exposure is investigated in terms of parents’ education, family size, and birth order. Thirty-one Russian-Hebrew children and 18 English-Hebrew children (4;4–6;1) participated. L2 acquisition was measured by a standardized screening test for Hebrew (Goralnik 1995). Findings showed that Russian-Hebrew bilinguals exhibited higher L2 abilities than English-Hebrew bilinguals. Sociolinguistically, English-Hebrew children preferred to define themselves as Israelis regardless of their language ability or the amount of exposure to Hebrew. In contrast, for the Russian-Hebrew bilinguals, positive correlations emerged between exposure to Hebrew, L2 language ability and sociolinguistic identity. These findings show distinct L2 acquisition factors that reflect the ethnolinguistic identity and attitudes of two distinct populations and are discussed in light of differences in motivation for immigration.
Abstract
This chapter examines the influence of sociolinguistic and exposure factors on second language (L2) proficiency in Russian-Hebrew and English-Hebrew (second generation) preschool children. The children come from two distinct ethnolinguistic populations with different motivations for immigration and different opportunities for linguistic exposure. Sociolinguistic factors include measures of ethnolinguistic identity and attitudes to speakers and languages. Quantitative L2 exposure is investigated in terms of chronological age, age of onset of language acquisition, and length of language exposure to the target language. Quality of L2 exposure is investigated in terms of parents’ education, family size, and birth order. Thirty-one Russian-Hebrew children and 18 English-Hebrew children (4;4–6;1) participated. L2 acquisition was measured by a standardized screening test for Hebrew (Goralnik 1995). Findings showed that Russian-Hebrew bilinguals exhibited higher L2 abilities than English-Hebrew bilinguals. Sociolinguistically, English-Hebrew children preferred to define themselves as Israelis regardless of their language ability or the amount of exposure to Hebrew. In contrast, for the Russian-Hebrew bilinguals, positive correlations emerged between exposure to Hebrew, L2 language ability and sociolinguistic identity. These findings show distinct L2 acquisition factors that reflect the ethnolinguistic identity and attitudes of two distinct populations and are discussed in light of differences in motivation for immigration.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Introduction to “Input and experience in bilingual development” 1
- Language exposure and online processing efficiency in bilingual development 15
- The absolute frequency of maternal input to bilingual and monolingual children 37
- Language input and language learning 59
- Language exposure, ethnolinguistic identity and attitudes in the acquisition of Hebrew as a second language among bilingual preschool children from Russian- and English-speaking backgrounds 77
- Interactions between input factors in bilingual language acquisition 99
- Properties of dual language input that shape bilingual development and properties of environments that shape dual language input 119
- The typical development of simultaneous bilinguals 141
- French-English bilingual children’s sensitivity to child-level and language-level input factors in morphosyntactic acquisition 161
- Comparing the role of input in bilingual acquisition across domains 181
- Index 203
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Introduction to “Input and experience in bilingual development” 1
- Language exposure and online processing efficiency in bilingual development 15
- The absolute frequency of maternal input to bilingual and monolingual children 37
- Language input and language learning 59
- Language exposure, ethnolinguistic identity and attitudes in the acquisition of Hebrew as a second language among bilingual preschool children from Russian- and English-speaking backgrounds 77
- Interactions between input factors in bilingual language acquisition 99
- Properties of dual language input that shape bilingual development and properties of environments that shape dual language input 119
- The typical development of simultaneous bilinguals 141
- French-English bilingual children’s sensitivity to child-level and language-level input factors in morphosyntactic acquisition 161
- Comparing the role of input in bilingual acquisition across domains 181
- Index 203
