Session 7C

Despite increasing awareness towards language–sensitive teaching and a growing number of multilingual children, studies still find a strong focus on monolingualism in many German schools. Specific needs of multilingual children are not always adequately supported, and their resources and potential often not fully exploited. 
However, numerous studies have shown that intensive bilingual instruction characterized by a high use of cognitively stimulating teaching techniques can have positive effects on the cognitive and linguistic development of young (multilingual) learners (Kersten, 2020). Therefore, the question arises whether early intensive bilingual support can have positive effects on the self–perception of young children beyond linguistic and cognitive aspects. Since language and personality development are closely interwoven and the linguistic environment is central to learners' development, it can be assumed that children's linguistic self–concept influences language development on the one hand, and is influenced by language–intensive bilingual contexts on the other (Zaunbauer et al., 2013). In general, research on self–concept shows that preschoolers still assess their self–concept in a relatively undifferentiated and unrealistically positive way, but that it becomes more realistic with increasing cognitive and linguistic development (Roebers, 2007).
Accordingly, this longitudinal study investigates the effects of bilingual schooling on verbal self–concept and linguistic skills, focusing on the following research questions: 
Do children in monolingual and bilingual settings differ in their development of German verbal self–concept? How is children's German verbal self–concept related to their German language proficiency?To that end, the verbal self–concept of N=78 mono– and multilingual learners in monolingual (German) and bilingual (German–English) settings was investigated longitudinally from preschool to the end of 1st grade, and related to their German language proficiency using a cross–lagged panel design. Verbal self–concept was operationalized via a standardized questionnaire (6 items) on all participants' languages; German language skills were assessed with standardized grammar and lexicon tests (TROG–D; SET 5–10); additionally, family's language and socioeconomic background were elicited with a parent questionnaire.
Preliminary results of several statistical analyses (i.a. repeated measures ANOVA) show that children in monolingual and bilingual settings do not differ in their development of German language proficiency. However, children in bilingual institutions rated their German verbal self–concept significantly lower than children in monolingual institutions at both testing times. This could indicate that children in bilingual contexts have already developed a more realistic self–concept or a higher metalinguistic awareness and are therefore already able to assess themselves in a more reflective and differentiated way (Roebers, 2007). Further results will be discussed with regard to language–sensitive teaching contexts and the learners' linguistic and social backgrounds. 
Kersten, K. (2020). Der Zusammenhang von kognitiven Fähigkeiten und Zweisprachigkeit im frühen L2–Erwerb: Individuelle und externe Faktoren. In H. Böttger, J. Festman, T. Müller (Eds.), Language Education and Acquisition Research: Focusing Early Language Learning (pp. 82–116). Klinkhardt. 
Roebers, C.M. (2007). Entwicklung des Selbstkonzeptes. In M. Hasselhorn & W. Schneider (Eds.), Handbuch der Entwicklungspsychologie (pp. 381–391). Hogrefe.
Zaunbauer, A.C.M., Gebauer, S.K., Retelsdorf, J., Möller, J. (2013). Motivationale Veränderung von Grundschulkindern in Englisch, Deutsch und Mathematik im Immersions- und Regelunterricht. Zeitschrift für Entwicklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie, 45(2), 91–102.

EuroSLA_abstract.pdf