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Second language exposure in the preschool

Relation to first language skills and executive functions
  • Aslı Aktan-Erciyes and Ayhan Aksu-Koç
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The Acquisition of Turkish in Childhood
This chapter is in the book The Acquisition of Turkish in Childhood

Abstract

An emerging situation in Turkey involves the acquisition of a second language (L2; English) in a context where the first language (L1; Turkish) is the majority language by children from advantaged social backgrounds. The present study explores the consequences of exposure to L2 in preschool on L1 and on executive functioning. One-hundred-four preschool children, attending Turkish-instruction preschools with one hour of English per day and English-instruction preschools with full-time English were assessed for their L1 and L2 competence and for executive functioning. An SEM model showed no difference in L1 competence between the two groups. Contrary to expectations, L2 competence did not have an effect on executive functioning in L2 preschools whereas an effect was observed in L1 preschools with fewer hours of exposure.

Abstract

An emerging situation in Turkey involves the acquisition of a second language (L2; English) in a context where the first language (L1; Turkish) is the majority language by children from advantaged social backgrounds. The present study explores the consequences of exposure to L2 in preschool on L1 and on executive functioning. One-hundred-four preschool children, attending Turkish-instruction preschools with one hour of English per day and English-instruction preschools with full-time English were assessed for their L1 and L2 competence and for executive functioning. An SEM model showed no difference in L1 competence between the two groups. Contrary to expectations, L2 competence did not have an effect on executive functioning in L2 preschools whereas an effect was observed in L1 preschools with fewer hours of exposure.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Part I. Acquisition/processing of morphology, syntax and semantics
  5. Sensitivity of Turkish infants to vowel harmony 29
  6. Turkish children’s early vocabulary 57
  7. Acquisition of canonical and non-canonical word orders in L1 Turkish 79
  8. What does online parsing in Turkish-speaking children reveal about grammar? 99
  9. Acquisition of scope relations by Turkish-English bilingual children 119
  10. Part II. Discourse
  11. Children’s referential choices in Turkish 153
  12. Learning to think, talk, and gesture about motion in language-specific ways 177
  13. Scene-setting and referent introduction in sign and spoken languages 193
  14. Part III. Literacy development
  15. Integrating cognitive and sociocultural aspects of reading in Turkish 223
  16. Phonological awareness in reading acquisition 243
  17. Part IV. Typical vs. Atypical development in monolingual and bilingual Turkish-speaking children
  18. Vocabulary and grammar acquisition in Turkish as assessed by the Turkish communicative development inventory 275
  19. Language impairment in Turkish-speaking children 295
  20. Language development in Turkish-speaking children with Autism Spectrum Disorders 325
  21. Verbal functional categories in the speech of a Turkish speaking child with autism 341
  22. L2 children do not fluctuate 361
  23. Second language exposure in the preschool 389
  24. Index 413
https://doi.org/10.1075/tilar.20.17akt

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Part I. Acquisition/processing of morphology, syntax and semantics
  5. Sensitivity of Turkish infants to vowel harmony 29
  6. Turkish children’s early vocabulary 57
  7. Acquisition of canonical and non-canonical word orders in L1 Turkish 79
  8. What does online parsing in Turkish-speaking children reveal about grammar? 99
  9. Acquisition of scope relations by Turkish-English bilingual children 119
  10. Part II. Discourse
  11. Children’s referential choices in Turkish 153
  12. Learning to think, talk, and gesture about motion in language-specific ways 177
  13. Scene-setting and referent introduction in sign and spoken languages 193
  14. Part III. Literacy development
  15. Integrating cognitive and sociocultural aspects of reading in Turkish 223
  16. Phonological awareness in reading acquisition 243
  17. Part IV. Typical vs. Atypical development in monolingual and bilingual Turkish-speaking children
  18. Vocabulary and grammar acquisition in Turkish as assessed by the Turkish communicative development inventory 275
  19. Language impairment in Turkish-speaking children 295
  20. Language development in Turkish-speaking children with Autism Spectrum Disorders 325
  21. Verbal functional categories in the speech of a Turkish speaking child with autism 341
  22. L2 children do not fluctuate 361
  23. Second language exposure in the preschool 389
  24. Index 413
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