Study Title: Understanding language learning in bilingual children and children with language difficulties
Research Investigator: Supervisor:
Chloe Korade Monique Charest
Phone: (780) 492-4098 (lab) Phone: (780) 492-0771
Email: korade@ualberta.ca Email : mcharest@ualberta.ca
Dear Parent/Guardian,
We are inviting you and your child to participate in a research study led by Chloe Korade from the University of Alberta.
What is this study about? In this study, we want to learn about how the sentences that children produce are influenced by the sentences that they hear. In particular, we want to know about English language learners and children with language difficulties, and how their language grows or changes as they hear and produce sentences.
Who can be in this study? We are recruiting children who are 5-6 years old, and who fall into one of the following groups:
- Children who speak a first language that is a language other than English, have had regular exposure to English for 1-3 years (English language learners), and whose parents do not have concerns about their language development;
- Children who speak a first language that is a language other than English, have had regular exposure to English for 1-3 years (English language learners), and whose parents have concerns about their language development or the child has been diagnosed as having language difficulties;
- Children who are monolingual English speakers and have been diagnosed as having language difficulties.
What will participation involve? Your child will be asked to take part in 2 sessions in which they will complete a series of language activities. In addition, when you join the study, we will ask you to complete two brief questionnaires that ask about your child’s language background and development. These will help to confirm your child’s eligibility. Then, when your child begins the study, we will complete another questionnaire with you in an interview format. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
During the first session, your child will first complete a series of activities that will provide information about their language, cognition, and hearing. After a short break, your child will complete two activities in which they look at short (10 second) cartoons and describe them with us. You will also complete the third questionnaire with us during the first session. This questionnaire asks about your child’s primary language, your child’s development, your child’s abilities in their first language, their use of their first language, their behavior, and any family history of language difficulties.
The second session will occur 24-48 hours after the first, based on your availability. During this session, your child will complete the same cartoon description activity that they did during the first session as well as a word repetition task. We will audio-record your child’s answers for our records, and will also measure how accurately they describe the cartoons.
Your child can withdraw from the study at any time. You can also withdraw from the study at any time by speaking with the researchers in person, or by contacting them by telephone or email.
Where will this study take place? With permission, the study will take place in a quiet space in your child’s after school centre. Or, you and your child can visit our lab at the University of Alberta.