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The impact of the First Language First model on vocabulary development among preschool bilingual children

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Abstract

The aim of this exploratory study was to examine the role of the First Language First model for preschool bilingual education in the development of vocabulary depth. The languages studied were Russian (L1) and Hebrew (L2) among bilingual children aged 4–5 years in Israel. According to this model, the children’s first language of educational instruction (up to age three) is the language to which they are exposed at home. Their second language—the dominant language of the country that is spoken by the majority of the population—is acquired sequentially, after relative maturity in the first language. Fifty-one Russian/Hebrew-speaking bilinguals (around age four) were selected from bilingual (Russian/Hebrew) preschools, which used the First Language First approach, and monolingual (Hebrew) preschools. The research was designed as a longitudinal study, as the children’s vocabulary was measured at two time-points—near the beginning and the end of the academic year. The children’s vocabulary was measured in both languages by examining its depth dimensions (paradigmatic semantic relations and syntagmatic semantic relations). The results demonstrated that the later immersion in L2 and continuing development of L1 within the First Language First model does not results in retardation in development of bilingual children in L2 in comparison to their bilingual peers from the monolingual (Hebrew) preschools. In addition, this model of early bilingual development enhances the linguistic interdependence of depth of vocabulary knowledge, and, therefore, supports balanced bilingual development.

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Notes

  1. Note that in this study, the term “preschool” is used for a form of early childhood education, which serves as a transition from their homes to the commencement of more formal schooling. In Israel, preschools are part of the education system, usually for ages three to six.

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Acknowledgments

My grateful thanks go to the general manager of the Union of Immigrant teachers, Konstantin Shveibish, the Preschool Principals, Irina Gurman and Olga Bray, for their unlimited support and fruitful collaboration. This study could not been conducted without long-term support of the young children who participated in this study and who have been a source of immense inspiration.

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  1. Department of Research and Evaluation Authority, Oranim Academic College of Education, 36006, Kiryat Tivon, Israel

    Mila Schwartz

  2. Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Mila Schwartz

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Correspondence to Mila Schwartz.

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Schwartz, M. The impact of the First Language First model on vocabulary development among preschool bilingual children. Read Writ 27, 709–732 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-013-9463-2

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