Socio-Emotional Skills, Behavior Problems, and Spanish Competence Predict the Acquisition of English Among English Language Learners in Poverty

• Published in: Developmental psychology Vol. 50; no. 9; pp. 2242 - 2254
• Main Authors: Winsler, Adam, Kim, Yoon Kyong, Richard, Erin R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-09-2014
• Subjects: Behavior; Behavior Problems; Biological and medical sciences; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child clinical studies; Child, Preschool; Children; Cognition; Cognitive Ability; Cognitive psychology; Developmental psychology; Early Childhood Assessment Instrument; Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (Revised); Educational psychology; Emotional Intelligence; Emotional Response; Emotions; English (Second Language); English as Second Language; English language; Family Characteristics; Female; Florida; Foreign Language Learning; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic Americans - psychology; Hispanic people; Human; Humans; Individual Differences; Kindergarten; Language acquisition; Language Development; Language proficiency; Language Skills; Language Tests; Latinos/Latinas; Learning Accomplishment Profile; Longitudinal Studies; Low Income Groups; Male; Medical sciences; Multilingualism; Multivariate Analysis; Oral Language Proficiency Scale; Parent Influence; Poverty; Poverty - psychology; Predictor Variables; Preschool Children; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Schools; Second Language Learning; Skills; Social Behavior; Social behavior disorders; Social behaviour; Social Skills; Spain; Spanish Speaking; Statistical Analysis; Florida; dual language learner; English language learner (ELL); English acquisition; Latino/Hispanic; social skills; Human; Preschool age; Academic achievement; Socioeconomic status; Poverty; Nursery school; Cognition; Latinamerican; Ethnic group; Behavioral disorder; Learning; English; Acquisition process; Language; Sociodemographic factor; Social aptitude; Bilingualism; Predictive factor; Child
• ISSN: 0012-1649; 1939-0599
• DOI: 10.1037/a0037161

This article analyzes the role that individual differences in children's cognitive, Spanish competence, and socio-emotional and behavioral skills play in predicting the concurrent and longitudinal acquisition of English among a large sample of ethnically diverse, low-income, Hispanic preschool children. Participants assessed at age 4 for language, cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral skills were followed through kindergarten. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that Spanish-speaking preschoolers with greater initiative, self-control, and attachment and fewer behavior problems at age 4 were more successful in obtaining English proficiency by the end of kindergarten compared to those initially weaker in these skills, even after controlling for cognitive/language skills and demographic variables. Also, greater facility in Spanish at age 4 predicted the attainment of English proficiency. Social and behavioral skills and proficiency in Spanish are valuable resources for low-income English language learners during their transition to school.