Project MILA
What is MILA?
MILA, short for "The Role of Migration Background and Language Impairment in Language Achievement", is a research project that focuses on the study of language acquisition in children with German as a first or second language. In order to compare typical and atypical language development, it also includes children with language impairment. Based on a combined longitudinal and cross-sectional research design, the project integrates standardized tests and questionnaires as well as experimental methods.
Background
Numerous studies show that as a result of language deficits many children and teenagers with migration backgrounds face disadvantages in the German educational system (cf. Britz, 2006; Krohne, Meier & Tillmann, 2004). For monolingual German-speaking children, an increase in language deficits has been reported as well. As a consequence many programs have been created aimed at reducing inequality early on. A central requirement for successful language intervention is that the child’s language competence be assessed in detail so that specific goals for language intervention can be formulated.
In practice, language difficulties are found in two groups of children: among monolingual children with language development disorders and among early second language learners. Based on a large body of research on monolingual acquisition of German, various standardized tests have been developed for monolingual children, which aim at detecting developmental language disorders. However, to date few studies focused on early second language acquisition of German (cf. Rothweiler, 2006; Thoma & Tracy, 2006).
MILA seeks to establish profiles for the acquisition of German as an early second language in typically developing children. Using a combined longitudinal and cross-sectional design, we compare the language acquisition of children with German as a first language with that of children with German as a second language. In order to compare typical and atypical language development, we also include children with developmental language disorders.
Project aims and research questions
In the wake of the PISA studies (e.g., Prenzel et al., 2007) early acquisition of a second language has increasingly become the focus of research. Comparative studies of first language acquisition and early second language acquisition (cf. Rothweiler, 2006; Thoma & Tracy, 2006) indicate that early acquisition of a second language does not overtax children per se. Rather, early second language learners seem to master important developmental milestones more quickly than monolingual children given comparable learning environments.
To date, studies have focused on the production abilities of early second language learners in the area of morphosyntax and have studied small groups of children with a small number of different first languages. Of particluar interest is whether these findings can be confirmed with larger groups of children and with learners of many different first languages.
The development of the comprehension abilities of early second language learners of German has to date scarcely been investigated. This is problematic because language comprehension is a core element of the human language faculty and because adequate language comprehension is an important precondition for successful participation in educational processes.
A large scale study is necessary in order to describe in detail the milestones of early second language acquisition of German with respect to language production and comprehension. MILA therefore studies two groups of about 60 children each to compare the developmental paths of children learning German as an early second language with those of monolingual children learning German.The acquisition patterns of these two groups of learners are contrasted with those of children with language disorders.
The goals of MILA are:
- Detailed characterization of the milestones of typical early second language acquisition of German, with focus on the development of language comprehension
- Comparison of typical acquisition of German as a second language with impaired first language acquisition of German
- First steps toward a model of impaired early second language acquisition of German, which can provide a linguistic foundation for the development of diagnostic instruments and intervention programs
Research design and research methods
MILA studies 120 children in a combined longitudinal and cross-sectional design. The sample consists of two groups of 60 children each, distinguished by their type of language acquisition: monolingual German-speaking children and children with German as their second language. Children with language disorders are included in these two groups.
Five rounds of data collection are planned in six-month intervals. The first four rounds of data collection were completed in spring and fall 2009 and 2010. The fifth and last round of data collection starts in March and will be completed in May 2011.
In each round of data collection, we employ standardized as well as non-standardized methods that have emerged from language acquisition research and developmental psychology. Among these are spontaneous speech recordings, tests of language development, parental questionnaires, and language comprehension experiments. This multidimensional research design allows us to study the development of individual children in detail and to compare developmental paths across children. Accordingly, we hope to contribute to the general debate of how typical and atypical language acquisition differ. The research design was approved by the ethics committee of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGP).
Milestones for the current years
Based on a screening of approximately 600 children distributed over 57 child care facilities in Frankfurt, 120 children were selected for participation in the long-term study. In spring and fall 2009, the language abilities of these children are being assessed via a range of instruments.
In order to intensify the collaboration with the child care facilities participating in the MILA project, and to establish new forms of knowledge transfer between research and practice, we are organizing workshops on related topics such as language acquisition and multilingualism. In addition, we are offering parents’ evenings for the parents of the children who particpate in MILA, as well as a parent telephone hot line.
Cooperation within the research center IDeA
We cooperate with the project erStMaL, which studies the development of mathematical learning processes. Studying a joint group of subjects, MILA and erStMaL aim at drawing parallels between language acquisition and mathematical concept development.
Scientific coordinator
Prof. Dr. Petra Schulz
Dr. Angela Grimm
Alexandra Ritter
Magdalena Wojtecka
Rabea Schwarze
Student assistants
Susanne Albus
Jasmin Becker
Stefan Blohm
Jennifer Bock
Fulya Celebioglu
Aneta Gawendka
Seyda Gercek
Tabea Hombach
Stamatis Katsivardas
Friederike Kops
Paul Michéle
Simon Potgieter
Carolin Reinert
Alessandro Riccitiello
Anna Roth
Jacob Schmidkunz
Rebecca Schuler
Kypriani Sinaris
Natalia Süß
Canan Tenglilimoglu
Zsuzsanna Vajda
Nicola Wagner
Merle Weicker
Julia Wolf
Dilara Yüksel
