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Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education
The Comprehension Of Metaphor By Preschool Children: Implications For A Theory Of Lexicon, Barbara Pearson
The Comprehension Of Metaphor By Preschool Children: Implications For A Theory Of Lexicon, Barbara Pearson
Barbara Zurer Pearson
Comprehension of metaphor in preschoolers was studied through an elicited repetition task. Subjects were 52 children ages 3;0 to 5;2. Repetition performance on metaphors was compared to repetitions of semantically well-formed literal sentences as well as semantically anomalous sentences, all matched for length, vocabulary and sentence structure. Accuracy on literal and metaphoric stimuli were comparable and both were significantly better than performance on anomalous sentences. There were no effects for age or sex. It was shown that the metaphors were not semantically anomalous to the children and that they were processed on a par with literal language. The argument is …
Key Concepts For Theorizing Spanish As A Heritage Language, Andrew Lynch
Key Concepts For Theorizing Spanish As A Heritage Language, Andrew Lynch
Andrew Lynch
In this chapter, I provide a selective, critical overview of the principal theoretical concepts that have served to frame studies of Spanish as a heritage language in the United States since the 1970s. Among the concepts I consider are: diglossia, standard language, proficiency, register, agency, and generation.
The Linguistic Similarities Of Spanish Heritage And Second Language Learners, Andrew Lynch
The Linguistic Similarities Of Spanish Heritage And Second Language Learners, Andrew Lynch
Andrew Lynch
This article addresses the situation of lower-proficiency heritage language learners of Spanish in terms of their linguistic similarities to second language learners. The analysis highlights grammatical and lexical features in the oral discourse of Spanish heritage and second language learners at intermediate and advanced levels of study, establishing common linguistic ground between the two groups. Given the similarities, the article emphasizes the current need for courses designed to accommodate lower-proficiency heritage learners, integrating principles and aspects of second language acquisition theory and pedagogy.