Cross-cultural differences in beliefs and practices that affect the language spoken to children: mothers with Indian and Western heritage.
BACKGROUND
Speech-language pathologists often advise families about interaction patterns that will facilitate language learning. This advice is typically based on research with North American families of European heritage and may not be culturally suited for non-Western families.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of the project was to identify differences in the beliefs and practices of Indian and Euro-Canadian mothers that would affect patterns of talk to children.


METHODS
A total of 47 Indian mothers and 51 Euro-Canadian mothers of preschool age children completed a written survey concerning child-rearing practices and beliefs, especially those about talk to children.


RESULTS
Discriminant analyses indicated clear cross-cultural differences and produced functions that could predict group membership with a 96% accuracy rate. Items contributing most to these functions concerned the importance of family, perceptions of language learning, children's use of language in family and society, and interactions surrounding text.


CONCLUSIONS
Speech-language pathologists who wish to adapt their services for families of Indian heritage should remember the centrality of the family, the likelihood that there will be less emphasis on early independence and achievement, and the preference for direct instruction.
Simmons
Noreen
N
School of Audiology & Speech Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. noreen_nh@yahoo.com
Johnston
Judith
J
D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D002663:Child Language; D002668:Child Rearing; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology