On the Role of Informal vs. Formal Context of Language Experience in Italian–German Primary School Children
(2024) In Languages 9(2)(63).- Abstract
- This study focuses on the contexts of language experience in relation to language dominance in eighty-seven Italian–German primary school children in Germany using the MAIN narrative task. We compare current language experience in the heritage language (Italian) and the majority language (German) in both formal and informal settings, and we examine the respective impact on micro- and macrostructure measures, including different language domains. Some previous findings emphasized the importance of language experience in formal contexts. By contrast, our results suggest that, in particular, language experience in informal contexts determines vocabulary and fluency in the heritage and majority language, while there are no effects of exposure... (More)
- This study focuses on the contexts of language experience in relation to language dominance in eighty-seven Italian–German primary school children in Germany using the MAIN narrative task. We compare current language experience in the heritage language (Italian) and the majority language (German) in both formal and informal settings, and we examine the respective impact on micro- and macrostructure measures, including different language domains. Some previous findings emphasized the importance of language experience in formal contexts. By contrast, our results suggest that, in particular, language experience in informal contexts determines vocabulary and fluency in the heritage and majority language, while there are no effects of exposure on syntactic complexity. Furthermore, while the younger children are relatively balanced, the older children are more dominant in the societal language. Our findings imply that the use of the minority language in informal contexts should be encouraged to promote its development and maintenance. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/0c6a81b4-db51-4165-ba7b-65f89ab336d6
- author
- Piccione, Mariapaola ; Ferin, Maria Francesca ; Furlani, Noemi ; Geiss, Miriam ; Marinis, Theodoros and Kupisch, Tanja LU
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- bilingualism, language dominance, language experience, narratives, proficiency
- in
- Languages
- volume
- 9(2)
- issue
- 63
- pages
- 20 pages
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85187282080
- ISSN
- 2226-471X
- DOI
- 10.3390/languages9020063
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 0c6a81b4-db51-4165-ba7b-65f89ab336d6
- date added to LUP
- 2024-10-25 14:32:55
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 13:51:56
@article{0c6a81b4-db51-4165-ba7b-65f89ab336d6, abstract = {{This study focuses on the contexts of language experience in relation to language dominance in eighty-seven Italian–German primary school children in Germany using the MAIN narrative task. We compare current language experience in the heritage language (Italian) and the majority language (German) in both formal and informal settings, and we examine the respective impact on micro- and macrostructure measures, including different language domains. Some previous findings emphasized the importance of language experience in formal contexts. By contrast, our results suggest that, in particular, language experience in informal contexts determines vocabulary and fluency in the heritage and majority language, while there are no effects of exposure on syntactic complexity. Furthermore, while the younger children are relatively balanced, the older children are more dominant in the societal language. Our findings imply that the use of the minority language in informal contexts should be encouraged to promote its development and maintenance.}}, author = {{Piccione, Mariapaola and Ferin, Maria Francesca and Furlani, Noemi and Geiss, Miriam and Marinis, Theodoros and Kupisch, Tanja}}, issn = {{2226-471X}}, keywords = {{bilingualism; language dominance; language experience; narratives; proficiency}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{63}}, publisher = {{MDPI AG}}, series = {{Languages}}, title = {{On the Role of Informal vs. Formal Context of Language Experience in Italian–German Primary School Children}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/languages9020063}}, doi = {{10.3390/languages9020063}}, volume = {{9(2)}}, year = {{2024}}, }