Action naming in Spanish and English by sequential bilingual children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
Verb processing in early sequential Spanish-English bilinguals was investigated. Primary study goals were to identify potential patterns of development in relative levels of verb processing efficiency in a 1st (L1) and 2nd (L2) language and to investigate factors influencing cognitive control of the dual-language system in developing bilinguals.


METHODS
Four age groups of early sequential Spanish-English bilinguals (5-7 years, 8-10 years, 11-13 years, and 14-16 years of age) named action pictures in single-language (Spanish or English) and mixed-language (alternating Spanish and English) conditions. Dependent variables were accuracy and response time (RT).


RESULTS
Action-naming proficiency improved in both L1 and L2 with age, with a shift from L1 to L2 dominance in accuracy. In comparison with the single-language condition, the mixed-language condition engendered slower RT for all age groups and lower accuracy for the 3 younger age groups. The oldest age group did not show accuracy difference between the conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
These general patterns of verb processing across age, language, and processing conditions replicated and enriched previous findings of noun processing in similar populations (K. J. Kohnert, E. Bates, & A. E. Hernandez, 1999). However, verb processing was considerably slower and less accurate than noun processing. Theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed.
Jia
Gisela
G
Department of Psychology, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA. giselajia@yahoo.com
Kohnert
Kathryn
K
Collado
Julissa
J
Aquino-Garcia
Francia
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008037:Linguistics; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014825:Vocabulary