Vocabulary and oral narrative skills in monolingual and bilingual language minority children

This study focuses on bilingual language minority children (BLM; L1-Chinese and L2-Italian) to identify the effects of the limited home exposition to the societal language (SL-Italian) on their vocabulary and oral narrative skills, considering age and socio-cultural-economic status (SES). 76 primary school children (M-age = 113 months, SD = 11.8; 41 girls and 35 boys) participated in this study: 31 BLM children (L1-Chinese and L2-Italian) and 45 Italian-speaking monolingual peers. Information about age, SES, and home language exposure was obtained via parental questionnaires. Children completed a vocabulary task and an oral story narration task evaluating children’s oral textual competencies (structure, cohesion, coherence), linguistic skills (word and sentence productivity), and textual processing (narrative speed). An Independent t-test was conducted. Results showed significant differences between BLM and monolingual children in vocabulary skills and narrative speed. General Linear Model analyses showed that linguistic condition (BLM vs. monolingual) impacts on vocabulary skills and narrative speed, after controlling age and SES. Our results encourage involving BLM children in L2-literacy practices to strengthen their vocabulary skills, that in turn may enhance their narrative competence