Language and Cognition Seminar - Predicting English language proficiency over the early school years in children learning English as an additional language

Speaker: Katie Whiteside, PhD student at the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London

Determining whether English language difficulties experienced by children learning English as an additional language (EAL) reflect an underlying language impairment or a lack of language experience is a challenge. In highly diverse populations, such as the UK, it is typically not feasible to assess children with EAL in their first language to determine their overall language competence. This talk presents longitudinal data to outline the potential use of English-administered measures to identify children with EAL who will likely experience persistent English language difficulties over the early school years. In the first of two papers discussed, comparisons were made between the language development and academic attainment of children with EAL (n = 43) and monolingual English-speaking peers (n = 46), who either had typical language development or met criteria for language impairment on a monolingual-normed English language battery in Year 1 (ages 5-6 years). Children with EAL and monolingual peers who met this criteria continued to display comparably impaired English language in Year 3 (ages 7-8 years) and also demonstrated comparable academic underachievement in Year 2 (ages 6-7 years). Taking a more continuous approach, the second paper found that Year 1 measures of executive function, non-word repetition, and non-verbal ability did not improve prediction of Year 3 English language proficiency in the EAL sample, over and above performance on the English language battery in Year 1. Overall, the results indicate that English language batteries have some practical value for identifying children with EAL who will need support with language learning over the early school years.

Time: Wednesday 30 November, 1pm

Venue: Room G15, Chandler House, 2 Wakefield St, London WC1N