English Language Learners' Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition: Effectiveness of Bilingual Storybook Reading for Kindergarteners.

摘要

This treatment crossover design study examined the effects of language of storybook reading, style of presentation of vocabulary words during storybook reading, initial general vocabulary, and frequency of home reading on children's English vocabulary acquisition through storybook reading. Twenty-nine native Spanish-speaking, kindergarten students, who were English language learners, participated in the study. There were two 2-week storybook reading periods. Children were randomly assigned by classroom to English-only or bilingual storybook reading in the first time period. In the second time period, children were exposed to the alternate storybook reading treatment. The two storybook reading treatments varied by language: English-only storybook reading or bilingual storybook reading, which consisted of prereading storybooks in the children's first language followed by additional readings in English. Within each storybook reading treatment, there were two vocabulary word sets that were presented either in an elaborated or implicit fashion.;All storybook reading treatment combinations led to significant gains in vocabulary. The language of storybook reading, style of presentation of vocabulary (elaborated or implicit) during storybook reading, and initial general vocabulary all were predictors of children's English vocabulary learning through storybook reading. There was a significant interaction between the two treatment conditions. Although elaboration of vocabulary consistently resulted in increased English vocabulary knowledge in children, regardless of whether the storybooks were read in English-only or bilingually, the English-only storybook reading treatment with word elaborations led to the most English vocabulary acquisition. The second most effective combination was bilingual storybook reading with elaborated presentation of target vocabulary. The failure to find the predicted advantage for bilingual storybook reading in both the elaborated and implicit vocabulary conditions may have been due to the decreased number of times children were exposed to the target vocabulary words in English when the first two readings of the storybook were presented in the children's first language. Children with higher initial general receptive vocabulary knowledge, assessed both in English and bilingually (English and Spanish combined), gained more from all storybook reading conditions. Study limitations, implications for practice and future research on the use of storybook reading as a vocabulary building strategy for English language learners were discussed in light of these findings.