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Language and Literacy Development of Dual Language Learners Growing Up in the United States: A Call for Research
Author(s) -
Hammer Carol Scheffner,
Jia Gisela,
Uchikoshi Yuuko
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
child development perspectives
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1750-8606
pISSN - 1750-8592
DOI - 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2010.00140.x
Subject(s) - psychology , literacy , dual language , language development , dual (grammatical number) , linguistics , developmental psychology , mathematics education , pedagogy , philosophy
— Statistics show that many dual language learners (DLLs) growing up in the United States are at risk for poor educational outcomes. As a result, national attention has focused on the promotion of DLLs’ academic abilities, beginning in the preschool years. Despite this interest, our understanding of DLLs’ language and literacy development is limited. The purpose of this article is to discuss the current state of knowledge about the language and literacy development of DLLs during early childhood, and to present a research agenda designed to enhance the field’s understanding of DLLs’ development, which, in turn, can help improve the educational outcomes of children who are learning two languages.