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Investigating the Vocabulary Spurt in Bilingual and Monolingual Infants

Title:

Investigating the Vocabulary Spurt in Bilingual and Monolingual Infants

Gómez Díaz, Miranda ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1503-6893 (2024) Investigating the Vocabulary Spurt in Bilingual and Monolingual Infants. Masters thesis, Concordia University.

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Abstract

Sometime before their second birthday, many children have a period of rapid expressive vocabulary growth called the vocabulary spurt. Theories of the underlying mechanisms differ: accumulator models emphasize the accumulation of experience with words over time to yield a spurt-like pattern, while cognitive models attribute the spurt to cognitive changes. To test these theories, English–French monolingual and bilingual children with different exposure to each language were studied. Dense, longitudinal data was analyzed from 45 infants aged 16-30 months, whose expressive vocabulary was measured on a total of 617 occasions in English and/or French. Single-language (English and/or French), concept (number of concepts lexicalized across both languages), and word (sum of both languages) vocabulary scores were computed. Infants’ exposure to each language and their exposure balance were measured using a language exposure questionnaire. Logistic curves were fitted to each infant’s data to estimate the timing (midpoint) and steepness (slope) of the vocabulary spurt in single-language, concept, and word vocabularies. 76% of infants showed a spurt in at least one vocabulary type, and bilinguals were less likely to show one in their non-dominant than their dominant language. For single-language vocabulary, infants with more exposure to a language had earlier spurts. For combined vocabularies (concept and word), monolinguals and unbalanced bilinguals had earlier and steeper spurts than balanced bilinguals. Results better support the predictions of accumulator models than cognitive theories, and show that infants follow different vocabulary acquisition trajectories based on their language background.

Divisions:Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science > Psychology
Item Type:Thesis (Masters)
Authors:Gómez Díaz, Miranda
Institution:Concordia University
Degree Name:M.A.
Program:Psychology
Date:April 2024
Thesis Supervisor(s):Byers-Heinlein, Krista
Keywords:infant bilingualism, vocabulary spurt, language acquisition, vocabulary, longitudinal study
ID Code:993868
Deposited By: Miranda Gomez Diaz
Deposited On:24 Oct 2024 18:58
Last Modified:24 Oct 2024 18:58

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