Word Learning in Bilingual Typical and Late Talking Children: The Role of Meaning and Input

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand how different types of word categories, along with the language children hear from their parents, support bilingual toddlers' word learning. This study will address two main questions: (1) How are the words toddlers know related to the words their parents use? and (2) How does what toddlers already know help them learn new words in two languages? The investigators will compare bilingual toddlers with typical development to those with language delay to determine whether they learn new words in similar ways.

Children's vocabulary knowledge will be assessed using standardized parent-report checklists. To examine how different types of categories support learning, the study will focus on two early-acquired categories: animals and clothing. The investigators will compare what parents report about their children's vocabulary with how children learn new words within each category.

To understand the role of parent input, children and their parents will engage in shared book reading and play activities using materials from one of the target categories. Parent-child interactions will be video recorded. Children will also complete an eye-tracking task in which they learn new words in two languages within the same category.

Conditions

• Bilingualism
• Vocabulary Acquisition
• Late Talkers
• Network Science

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Large Semantic Category Condition

Participants will learn new words that refer to objects that belong to a category from which toddlers know many words (i.e., animals). They will learn new animal words in two different language conditions: a single language context and a dual language context. In the single language context, they will learn new English-like words in a learning environment where they only hear one language (i.e., English). In the dual language context, they will learn new English-like and Spanish-like words in a learning environment where they only hear both languages. Participants and their parents will also read books about animals and play with animal toy sets.

BEHAVIORAL

Small Semantic Category Condition

Participants will learn new words that refer to objects that belong to a category from which toddlers know few words (i.e., clothing). They will learn new clothing words in two different language conditions: a single language context and a dual language context. In the single language context, they will learn new English-like words in a learning environment where they only hear one language (i.e., English). In the dual language context, they will learn new English-like and Spanish-like words in a learning environment where they only hear both languages. Participants and their parents will also read books about clothes and play with toy sets that include clothing.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

  collaborator NIH

• Boston University Charles River Campus

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

24 Months

Max Age

30 Months

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-16

Primary Completion

2028-07-31

Completion

2029-07-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations