Title: The association between exposure to code-switching and bilingual children’s language skills is moderated by working memory capacity
Legend: Does exposure to code-switching (alternation between two languages) influence bilingual children’s language outcomes? These data indicate that for children with high verbal working memory, greater exposure to code-switching was associated with higher levels of language ability. In contrast, for children with lower verbal working memory, greater exposure to code-switching was associated with lower levels of language ability.
Citation: Kaushanskaya, M. & Crespo, K. (in press). Does Exposure to Code-Switching Influence Language Performance in Bilingual Children? Child Development.
Abstract: This study investigated whether the effect of exposure to code-switching on bilingual children’s language performance varied depending on verbal working memory. A large sample of school-aged Spanish-English bilingual children (N = 174, Mage = 7.78) was recruited, and children were administered language measures in English and Spanish. The frequency with which the children were exposed to code-switching was gathered through parent report. For children with high verbal working memory, greater exposure to code-switching was associated with higher levels of language ability. In contrast, for children with lower verbal working memory, greater exposure to code-switching was associated with lower levels of language ability. These findings indicate that children’s cognitive processing capacity dictates whether exposure to code-switching facilitates or hinders language skills.
About the Lab: Margarita Kaushanskaya is a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Research in her Language Acquisition and Bilingualism Lab examines language and cognitive development in bilingual children with and without developmental disabilities.