LangDiv: Contextual Impacts on Family Language Environments and Child Language Acquisition

Children’s language development is influenced by the everyday language environments they experience at home. Home language environments are complex and dynamic, often changing in day-to-day stress and caregiver responsivity. This project aims to examine how family stress and cohesion relate to a young child’s language environment and, in turn, their language acquisition. Child language skills have an impact on long-term academic achievement; therefore, understanding the factors that support and challenge children’s language development are important to improving the education, economic competitiveness, and lifelong well-being of children. This project consists of two studies. In the first study, the researchers conduct a secondary analysis of existing data from 100 families with 3- to 5-year-old children. By transcribing and analyzing the language of all family members, researchers can use these data to test how aspects of natural environments, including observed ratings and parent self-report of family stressors and supports, relate to a child’s language environment and language abilities. In the second study, the research team uses an intensive longitudinal design with natural home observations to collect data from 50 multigenerational families. Researchers aim to use the data from both studies to develop a generalizable theory of environmental context influences on children's language exposure and acquisition. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.