Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://observatorio.fm.usp.br/handle/OPI/9763
Title: | Cross-Linguistic and Cross-Cultural Effects on Verbal Working Memory and Vocabulary: Testing Language-Minority Children With an Immigrant Background |
Authors: | ABREU, Pascale M. J. Engel de; BALDASSI, Martine; PUGLISI, Marina L.; BEFI-LOPES, Debora M. |
Citation: | JOURNAL OF SPEECH LANGUAGE AND HEARING RESEARCH, v.56, n.2, p.630-642, 2013 |
Abstract: | Purpose: In this study, the authors explored the impact of test language and cultural status on vocabulary and working memory performance in multilingual language-minority children. Method: Twenty 7-year-old Portuguese-speaking immigrant children living in Luxembourg completed several assessments of first (L1)- and second-language (L2) vocabulary (comprehension and production), executive-loaded working memory (counting recall and backward digit recall), and verbal short-term memory (digit recall and nonword repetition). Cross-linguistic task performance was compared within individuals. The language-minority children were also compared with multilingual language-majority children from Luxembourg and Portuguese-speaking monolinguals from Brazil without an immigrant background matched on age, sex, socioeconomic status, and nonverbal reasoning. Results: Results showed that (a) verbal working memory measures involving numerical memoranda were relatively independent of test language and cultural status; (b) language status had an impact on the repetition of high-but not on low-wordlike L2 nonwords; (c) large cross-linguistic and cross-cultural effects emerged for productive vocabulary; (d) cross-cultural effects were less pronounced for vocabulary comprehension with no differences between groups if only L1 words relevant to the home context were considered. Conclusion: The study indicates that linguistic and cognitive assessments for language-minority children require careful choice among measures to ensure valid results. Implications for testing culturally and linguistically diverse children are discussed. |
Appears in Collections: | Artigos e Materiais de Revistas Científicas - FM/MFT Artigos e Materiais de Revistas Científicas - LIM/34 |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
art_ABREU_CrossLinguistic_and_CrossCultural_Effects_on_Verbal_Working_Memory_2013.PDF Restricted Access | publishedVersion (English) | 1.35 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open Request a copy |
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.