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Bilingualism and Biliteracy in Down Syndrome: Insights From a Case Study.

ABSTRACT: We present the case study of MB-a bilingual child with Down syndrome (DS) who speaks Russian (first language [L1]) and English (second language [L2]) and has learned to read in two different alphabets with different symbol systems. We demonstrate that, in terms of oral language, MB is as proficient in Russian as English, with a mild advantage for reading in English, her language of formal instruction. MB's L1 abilities were compared with those of 11 Russian-speaking typically developing monolinguals and her L2 abilities to those of 15 English-speaking typically developing monolinguals and six monolingual English-speaking children with DS; each group achieving the same level of word reading ability as MB. We conclude that learning two languages in the presence of a learning difficulty need have no detrimental effect on either a child's language or literacy development.

SUBMITTER: Burgoyne K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5132129 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Bilingualism and Biliteracy in Down Syndrome: Insights From a Case Study.

Burgoyne Kelly K Duff Fiona J FJ Nielsen Dea D Ulicheva Anastasia A Snowling Margaret J MJ

Language learning 20160601 4

We present the case study of MB-a bilingual child with Down syndrome (DS) who speaks Russian (first language [L1]) and English (second language [L2]) and has learned to read in two different alphabets with different symbol systems. We demonstrate that, in terms of oral language, MB is as proficient in Russian as English, with a mild advantage for reading in English, her language of formal instruction. MB's L1 abilities were compared with those of 11 Russian-speaking typically developing monoling ...[more]

PMID: 27917003

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Bilingualism and Biliteracy in Down Syndrome: Insights From a Case Study.

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Bilingualism and Biliteracy in Down Syndrome: Insights From a Case Study.

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