Societal language and social skills in preschool dual language learners

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined the relationship between societal language skills of dual language learners and two forms of social behavior: peer social engagement and aggressive behavior. The study comprised 160 preschool children aged three to six years, all spoke German as a societal language. A cross-lagged panel model was employed to analyze data collected at three time points: 18 months before kindergarten entry, at the beginning, and at the end of kindergarten. Results revealed high stability in societal language skills across these time points. Aggressive behavior also demonstrated high stability; however, it was not significantly associated with language skills at any time point. In contrast, social engagement with peers showed a relationship with language skills before kindergarten and remained stable after kindergarten entry. Notably, early societal language skills predicted social engagement at the beginning of kindergarten and were linked to societal language skills at the same measurement interval. The findings underscore the critical role of early societal language skills in promoting peer social engagement as children transition to formal schooling.