The purpose of this project was to review the literature for Spanish speaking and EnglishSpanish speaking children concerning Spanish development of 8 verb forms,
interrogatives, negatives, possessive, plurals, and articles. The evaluation of the literature
included evidence based levels, number of subjects, elicitation technique, age and country
of origin. Comparisons with charts are made between those children from monolingual
environments and bilingual environments.
The Spanish-speaking child has been an interest to linguists as well as public school
clinicians for decades. Understanding these children’s language development is an
important variable to the assessment and intervention of children who are in our public
schools. The research attempted in understanding Spanish language development has
implemented longitudinal, cross-sectional, and case studies of several children. Speech
language pathologists who serve this population need current information that has been
reviewed for its evidence base. This information will provide guidelines in determining
appropriate language milestones and delays in these children.
The purpose of this poster session is to display the review of literature concerning
Spanish speaking and bilingual children who are Spanish speaking. This literature will be
evaluated in several forms. Tables will be developed to name the authors, subjects’ ages,
backgrounds, elicitation procedures, and the level of evidence that each study provided.
Bar graphs will be developed to display the ages of emergence and acquisition of the
following: 8 verb forms, interrogatives, negatives, possessives, plurals, reflexive
pronouns, and articles. These syntactical and morphological forms will be compared
between monolingual and bilingual children.
The goal of this poster session is to present similarities and differences between Spanish
speaking children who are monolingual and bilingual. Additionally, clinicians will
benefit in viewing bar graphs that display these milestones.
DISCUSSION:
Eight basic verb forms were compared between the two groups of data.
Interrogatives were investigated in bilingual speakers with more detail than with
monolingual Spanish speakers.
Possessives, articles, negatives, and plurals were studied for both groups, but in
the Spanish literature, there were also studies that included demonstratives,
preposition (en), Diminutives, and Augmentatives (e.g., real words and artificial
words).
These other areas were not found in the bilingual literature, therefore, only those
that are in both literatures are compared in this paper.
Comparison of Verb Forms:
SIMILARITIES
.
Present Indicative: Developing in both groups up to age 2.6 years with one study
up to 4 years.
Preterite Indicative: Spanish speakers emerge use at 2.0 and master this form by 4
years. Bilingual speakers are developing these forms from 1.6 yrs to 3.0 years.
There is overlap in both groups for this form.
Imperfect Indicative: Spanish speakers emerge use at 2.6 while bilingual speakers
master use between 2.0 and 3.6 years. There is overlap in both groups.
Imperatives: Spanish speakers develop form between 1.6 years and 2.6 years with
one study at 3.0 years, bilingual speakers develop this form between 1.6 and 2.6
with one study at 3.3. Similar for both groups.
Possessives: Spanish speakers develop form between ages 2.2 to 3.10 years,
bilinguals developed from between 2.6 and 3.6. Development overlaps.
DIFFERENCES
Present Progressive: Spanish speakers develop this from between 1.6 and 2.6
years, bilingual speakers are later at 2.3 years to 3.3 years.
Periphrastic Future: Spanish speakers develop use from 2.0 yrs. To 2.10
years, bilingual are later, 2.6 years to 3.3 years.
Present Subjunctive: Spanish speakers develop use from 1.8 to 2.8 year,
bilingual speakers develop this form later at 2.6 to 3.6 years.
Plurals: Spanish speakers develop form between 2.5 to 6.0 years, depending
upon the study, variable. Bilingual speakers develop form between 1.8 and
2.8 years. Variation between the two groups is great.
Articles: Spanish speakers develop between 2.0 and 4.0 years, bilingual
speakers develop form earlier, 1.10 to 2.8 years.
Kayser, Contreras, Finney (ASHA 2006)
1
Review of Literature Regarding Acquisition of Spanish of Monolingual Population
Researcher(s)
Level of
Evidence
III
Sample
(N)
40
Location of
Study
San Juan, Puerto
Rico
Ages
Studied
2;0 –
3;11
Method of
Elicitation
Pronominal
testing sessions
and interactions
Productive use of
Spanish personal
pronouns
Bel (2002)
III
6
Spain
1;7 - 2;8
Monolingual 3 Spanish- speakers
3- Catalan speakers
Natural
Language
samples
Verbs- Tense
projection and
comprehension
Cazden &
BelendezSoltero
(1983)
III
8
Boston (4
children)
Puerto Rico (4
children)
Boston
Study:
1;5- 3;1
Puerto
Rico
Study:
1;6-2;6
Boston:
Monolingual
Spanish- with some
exposure to English.
Puerto Rico:
Monolingual
Spanish- with no
exposure to English
Monolingual
Spanish
Transcriptions
of spontaneous
clinician-child
unstructured
conversations
were recorded
every 2-4
weeks
Informal
naturalistic
language
samples
Age of acquisition
of present, preterit,
and future verb
forms
Gathercole,
Sebastian, &
Soto (1999)
III
2
Madrid, Spain
1;6 –2;6
and
1;8-2;1
JacksonMaldonado,
Maldonado,
& Thal
(1998)
III
37
Queretaro,
Mexico City, &
San Diego
2;4-3;0
Monolingual
Spanish (San
Diego subjects did
have limited
exposure to English)
Cuidad
Guzman, Jalisco
/Mexico
5;0-12;0
Monolingual
Spanish
Informal and
naturalistic
play with
mothers to
obtain language
samples. Toys
Informal and
Formal testing
procedures
Kernan &
Blount (1966)
IIb
92
Kvaal, et al.
(1988)
III
15
San Diego
(Logan Heights
area)
2;0-4;8
Monolingual
Spanish
Marrero &
Aguirre
(2003)
III
3
1;7-4;7
Spanish
Perez-Pereira
(1989)
IIb
109
Madrid, Spain
(2)
Canary I., Spain
(1)
La Coruna,
Spain
3;0-6;0
Monolingual
Spanish
TaganuchiItano, et al.
(1998)
III
66
Unknown
1;9 –2;9
Monolingual
Spanish
Toronto, S.
(1976)
IIb
48
Chicago, IL
3;0-5;11
Monolingual
Spanish- minimal
exposure to English
Anderson
(1998)
Language
Monolingual
Spanish-Speakers
Spontaneous
informal
language
samples
Longitudinal
spontaneous
speech samples
Concepts
Periphrastic ,
present, preterit,
imperative verb
form age of
acquisition.
Reflexive,
localized, and
middle forms of
the Spanish clitic
se.
Internalization of
plurals, diminitives,
agentives, future,
present, past, and
possessives.
Development of
Spanish
morphemes
Stages in plural
development
Informal test
which elicited
29 real Spanish
words and 31
artificial words.
Language
Samples
Acquisition and
use of
morphological
rules for phrase
construction
Emergence of verb
inflections.
Spontaneous
speech sample
Assessing
development of
Spanish grammar
Kayser, Contreras, Finney (ASHA 2006)
2
Review of Literature Regarding Acquisition of Spanish of Bilingual Populations
Researcher(s)
Level of
Evidence
III
Sample
(N)
21
Location of
Study
Boston &
Argentina
Ages
Studied
6.0-7.9
Gonzalez
(1978)*
III
24
2.0-5.0
Gonzalez
(1980)
Padilla &
Lindholm
(1975)
III
32
Lower Rio
Grande Valley-Texas
Texas
16 Bilinguals,
5
Monolinguals
Bilingual
2.0-4.6
Bilingual
III
19
Mexico-U.S.
2.0-6.0
Simultaneous
Bilingual
Maez (1983)
III
3
Not stated
1.6-2.0
Marchman,
MartínezSussmann, &
Dale (2004)
Childhood
Bilingualism
Workshop
(2004)
III
113
Major U.S.
metropolitan areas
1.5-2.6
Native
Spanish
speakers with
exposure to
English
Bilingual
(slightly more
Spanish than
English)
Bilingualism
generally, not
Spanishspecific
Padilla &
Liebman
(1975)
Gathercole
(2002)
III
3
California
1.5-2.8
Simultaneous
Bilinguals
III
244
Miami & Peru
2nd &
5th
graders
212 Bilinguals
32
Monolinguals
Brisk (1976)
IV
Washington, DC
Language
Method of
Elicitation
Guided
conversation
Guided
conversation
Guided
conversation
Informal and
spontaneous play
Informal and
spontaneous play
to obtain language
samples
Parental
interviews, and
standardized tests
Retrospective
standardized
testing from
1990’s used with
formal
questioning
Informal and
formal questions
Concepts
Grammatical gender
Normal sequencing of
phonology and
grammatical patterns
Temporal expressions
Acquisition of
interrogatives,
adverbs, and
adjectives
Verb morphology,
MLU, and gender
inflections
Relation between
semantic and
grammatical
complexity
Conference
discussing current
and future research
regarding bilingual
children
Exceptional cases of
grammatical gender
between monolingual
and bilingual as well
as across SES and
type of bilingualism
Sadek,
III
315
Las Angeles
Pre-K
140
Compare the
Kiraithe, &
through
Monolinguals,
acquisition of
Villarreal
3rd
146
grammatical gender
(1975)
grade
Bilinguals,
between
29 English
monolinguals and
monolinguals
bilinguals
* The original study includes 2.0-10.0, looking at 48 children. However, the report only discusses the age intervals 2.0-5.0.
Kayser, Contreras, Finney (ASHA 2006)
3
Scale of Evidence (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2004)
“Levels of evidence for studies of treatment efficacy, ranked according to quality and
credibility from highest/most credible (Ia) to lowest/least credible (IV) (adapted from the
Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network, www.sign.ac.uk)”
Level
Ia
Ib
IIa
IIb
III
IV
Description
Well-designed meta-analysis of > 1 randomized controlled trial
Well-designed randomized controlled study
Well-designed controlled study without randomization
Well-designed quasi-experimental study
Well-designed nonexperimental studies, i.e. correlational and case studies
Expert committee report, conseus conference, clinical experience of respected authorities
Available at-http://www.asha.org/ members/deskref-journals/deskref/default
Table 1. Acquisition of Spanish Verb Forms of Monolingual Speakers
Age of acquisition
Verb Forms
1.0
1.6
2.0
2.6
3.0
3.6
4.0
4.6
5.0
5.6
6.0
4.6
5.0
5.6
6.0
Present Indicative
Preterite Indicative
Imperfect Indicative
Present Progressive
Periphrastic Future
Present Subjunctive
Copula
Imperatives
Infinitives
Table 2. Acquisition of Spanish Interrogative Forms of Monolingual Speakers
Age of acquisition
Interrogatives
1.0
1.6
2.0
2.6
3.0
3.6
4.0
Word Level
Table 3. Acquisition of Other Spanish Morphological and Syntactical Markers of Monolingual Speakers
Other Morphological and
Syntactical Markers
Demonstratives
Age of acquisition
1.0
1.6
2.0
2.6
3.0
3.6
Possessives
Plurals
-RW (Real Words)
-AW (Artificial Words)
Articles
Preposition (en)
Diminutives
-RW (Real Words)
-AW (Artificial Words)
Augmentatives
-RW (Real Words)
-AW (Artificial Words)
Kayser, Contreras, Finney
(ASHA 2006)
4.0
4.6
5.0
5.6
6.0
Table 4. Acquisition of Spanish Verb Forms of Bilingual Speakers
Age of acquisition
Verb Forms
1.0
1.6
2.0
2.6
3.0
3.6
4.0
Present Indicative
4.6
5.0
5.6
6.0
4.6
5.0
5.6
6.0
Preterite Indicative
-3rd person develops 1st
Imperfect Indicative
Present Progressive
Periphrastic Future
Present Subjunctive
Conditional
Imperatives
-Informal tu develops 1st
-2.0: Verb Only
-2.6: V + I.O. or D.O.
-2.9: V + I.O. + D.O.
-indirect commands
Table 5. Acquisition of Spanish Interrogative Forms of Bilingual Speakers
Age of acquisition
Interrogatives
1.0
1.6
2.0
2.6
3.0
3.6
4.0
Single word and intonation
Full Sentence
Yes/No
Tags
Noun-Verb Inversion
Table 6. Acquisition of Other Spanish Morphological and Syntactical Markers of Bilingual Speakers
Other Morphological and
Age of acquisition
Syntactical Markers
1.0
1.6
2.0
2.6
3.0
3.6
4.0
4.6
5.0
5.6
Negatives
Possessives
Plurals
Articles
-Use, but not perfect
with gender agreement
Kayser, Contreras, Finney
(ASHA 2006)
6.0