2410 Taft Avenue, 1004 Manila, Philippines

LIN632D/ Bilingualism and Bilingual Education

Term 1 AY 2014-2015
Marianne Jennifer M. Gaerlan, Ph. D.
CONCEPT PAPER
Present level of language and cognitive development of bilinguals and monolinguals in early
childhood years: predicting risk of learning English language
Early childhood is the critical period of human development that sets a foundation
for a complete and healthy cognitive, emotional and physical growth of every individual in later
life. Researchers believe that this stage is fundamental in shaping the childrens future, health,
growth, development and learning (Facts for Life, 4th Edition). One of the most remarkable
occurrence that the child can demonstrate between the age of 2-5 is the emergence of language.
This is the onset of preoperational stage which Piaget identified. The stage when a childs
symbolic thoughts is being transmitted through language (J. Piaget, 1963).
Basically, there are antecedents of language development which every child go
through in the process. This can be better understood from the time the baby produces sounds,
how he/she looks, movements and gestures to communicate. These prelinguistic characteristics
are important precursors of actual language use (Adamson, 1995). One manifestation that a baby
engages in a communication is when he/she reciprocated a sound made by the caregiver either
through sound, movement, smile and other facial expressions (Fogel, 1993; Uzgiris, 1989). And
this communicative abilities are first enhanced by parents pseudo- conversation or pseudodialogue which means that the adult alone is considered to be responsible for maintaining the
flow of conversation (Schaffer, 1977). It is in this situation that when a baby gurgles, the mother
usually responds by speaking. The mother will wait if the child response, if not, the mother will
make another sound or prompt the baby to respond by touching the child. This scenario will help
Submitted by: Divina G. Naoe

July 24, 2014

the child to become a communicative partner by the end of his/her first year (Golinkoff, 1983;
Schaffer, 1997,1996). This will be followed by learning to gesture between the age of 3-12
months. Babies learn to use pointing to guide others attention to particular objects (Fogel, 1993).
When the child learns to use this pointing whether through directing or following, the child will
eventually learn that object and events have names. They begin to label things and learn great
things around them (Golinkoff & Hirsh-Pasek, 1999). Across time, they learn to reduce the use
of gestures and use verbal skills to communicate their needs and wants (Adamson, 1995; Bates,
1987).
The experiences on how the children acquire language may be varied but
normally, they use language on the same rate. The way in which the children learn language
follow a specific pattern and inherently systematic in nature (Cole & Cole, 1993; Curtiss, 1997;
Goldin-Meadow, 1982; Lindfors, 1991; Mclaughlin, 1984; Newport, 1991).
This is why Vygostsky postulated that language is a critical bridge between
sociocultural world and individual mental functioning. This further entails that language
acquisition is the most significant milestones in childrens cognitive development (Berk &
Winsler, 1995). This is also in consonance to Piagets principle that language is a verbal way an
individual expresses his/her understanding of the world (Piaget, 1983).
Background on the Second Language Acquisition
Most of children in the world are bilinguals (Grosjean, 1982; McLaughlin, 1984).
This is due to the fact that all children have the opportunity to learn the second language during
their lifetime. The acquisition of the second language depends on many variable which is the
same way as the acquisition of the first language ( Bialystok & Hakuta, 1994; Collier, 1995;
Lindfors, 1991). Young children will learn the second language when situation demands them to
and will revert back to monolinguals when it is no longer a need. The enhancement of the second
language will depend on how the family members support the language usage. Language

Submitted by: Divina G. Naoe

July 24, 2014

development is dynamic, it needs to be used and it should be meaningful for the person. (Collier,
1995; Grosjean, 1982; Krashen, 1996; McLaughlin, 1984).
Learning a second language often has a specific benefits, like, children are more
cognitively advanced, have better concept formation, are more flexible in their thinking, and
have better attentional control (Bialystok, 1999; Diaz, 1983, 1985; Gomez & Kodzopeljic, 1991;
Rosemblum & Pinker, 1983). Furthermore, bilingualism will also improve the individuals social
behavior (Lambert, 1987). One must be concern about is the notion that, if children do not
acquire their first language they may experience difficulty later to become fully literate and
academically proficient on the second language (Collier, 1992, 1995; Collier & Thomas, 1989;
Cummins, 1981, 1991; Collier & Thomas, 1995). It is imperative therefore to learn and become
familiar and proficient on the first language to be successful bilinguals. And it is worth note
taking that prior to become proficient on the first language, children need to develop receptive
language skills (Butterfield & Siperstein, 1972). This matches with what contemporary
developmentalists recognized to be important where both the biological aspect and the
environment interact to ensure that normal development will transpire.
Key Research Questions
The important concern in this study is to identify the level of language domain and academic
performance of monolingual and bilingual children. This study will seek to answer the following
questions: First, what is the level of language domain of monolinguals and bilingual children?
Second, what is the level of academic performance (level cognitive domain) of monolinguals and
bilingual children? Third, is there significant difference between the level of language domain
among monolinguals and bilinguals? Fourth, is there significant difference between the academic
performance of monolinguals and bilinguals? Fifth, is there significant correlation between the
level of language development and academic performance among monolinguals and bilinguals?
Finally, what is the significant implications can be derived from the language developmental
levels and their cognitive performance of monolingual and bilingual children.
Submitted by: Divina G. Naoe

July 24, 2014

Research Methodology
This research will take the early childhood children as respondents, particularly the children from
kindergarten grade level in one private school in Pangasinan. The researcher will use the
language developmental milestones to identify the language performance level of kindergarten
children and their first quarter grade. Additional information will be gathered to know the
demographic profile of the respondents and to identify who among the children are monolinguals
and bilinguals.
Statistical Tool
Weighted Mean
Pearson R correlation coefficient
Anova
Reference
Books
Hetherington, E.M., Parke, R., Gauvain, M. & Locke, M. (2006). Child psychology A
contemporary viewpoint (6th Ed.). New York. McGraw-Hill
Moreno, R. (2010). Educational psychology. United States of America. John Wiley & Sons
Ormrod, J.E. (2012). Human learning. United States of America. Pearson
Papalia, D., & Feldman, R.D. (2012). Experience human development (12th Ed.). New York, US.
McGraw-Hill
Journal Articles:
Bialystok, E. (2009). Bilingualism: The good, the bad, and the indifferent. 3-11.
Bialystok, E. (2008). Second- language acquisition and bilingualism at an early age and impact
on early cognitive development. 1-4. Retrieved from http://www.childencyclopedia.com/documents/BialystokANGxp_rev.pdf
Clark, B. (2011). First- and second language acquisition early childhood. 181-188. Retrieved
from ecap.crc.illinois.edu/pubs/katzsym/clark-b.html
Submitted by: Divina G. Naoe

July 24, 2014

Grosjean, F. (1998). Studying bilinguals: Methodological and conceptual issues. 131-149.

Hakuta, K. & Gould, L. (2007). Synthesis of research on bilingual education. 38-44. Retrieved
from http://web.stanford.edu/~hakuta/Publications/(1987)%20-%20SYSNTHESIS
%20OF%20RESEARCH%20ON%20BILINGUAL%20EDUCATION.pdf
King, K., & Fogle, L. (2006). Raising bilingual children: Common parental concerns and
current research. 1-2. Retreived from http://www.cal.org/resource-center/briefsdigests/digests/(offset)/90
Pearson, B.Z. (2007). Social factors in childhood bilingualism in the United States. 399-410.
doi:10.1017.s014271640707021X
Website:
Tucker, R. (1999). Center for Applied Linguistics. Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved from
http://www.cal.org/resource-center/briefs-digests/digests/(offset)/90

Submitted by: Divina G. Naoe

July 24, 2014