ERIC Number: EJ1486879
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Nov
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-0009
EISSN: EISSN-1469-7602
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Cognitive Skills Differentially Influence Narrative Macrostructure in Bilinguals' L1 and L2
Journal of Child Language, v52 n6 p1437-1447 2025
This study explored cognitive effects on narrative macrostructure in both languages of 38 Russian-German bilinguals aged 4;6 to 5;1‚ while controlling for demographic factors (sex, socioeconomic status) and language proficiency. Macrostructure was operationalised as story structure (SS) and story complexity (SC) using the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives. Nonverbal cognitive subtasks assessing shifting (Figure Ground), visual memory (Form Completion), and inhibition (Attention Divided) were administered. None of the cognitive skills influenced SS; however, they differentially impacted SC: Figure Ground affected Russian SC, while Form Completion affected German SC. Findings advance our understanding of how cognition affects oral narratives in bilingual preschoolers.
Descriptors: Child Language, Bilingualism, Russian, German, Preschool Children, Cognitive Processes, Language Proficiency, Story Telling, Nonverbal Communication, Thinking Skills, Visual Acuity, Memory, Oral Language
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Leibniz-Zentrum Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft, Berlin, Germany; 2Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 3Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany

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