Development of complex syntax in the narratives of children with English as an Additional Language and their monolingual peers

English syntax acquisition is crucial for developing literacy but may be challenging for many children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). This study longitudinally investigates syntactic complexity and diversity of stories retold by children with EAL and their monolingual peers as well as the relationship between syntax and vocabulary. This is a secondary data analysis using data from the Surrey Communication and Language in Education study (SCALES). Sixty-one children with EAL were matched to their monolingual peers on sex, age and teacher-rated language proficiency. Children’s narratives were collected in Year 1 (age 5-6) and Year 3 (age 7-8) and coded for clause type. Dependent variables included Mean Length of Utterance in words (MLUw) and Clausal Density (CD) as measures of syntactic complexity and Complex Syntax Type-Token Ratio (CS-TTR) estimating syntactic diversity. Children with EAL presented syntactically complex and diverse narratives equivalent to monolingual peers in Year 1 and Year 3. Growth rate in syntactic complexity was associated with English vocabulary in Year 1. Among children with low vocabulary, children with EAL developed syntactic complexity at a faster rate than monolingual peers, while the opposite was true in the high-vocabulary group. Children with average vocabulary progressed at parallel rates. Children with EAL and their monolingual peers used broadly the same complex structures but with varying frequency. In this longitudinal study comparing children with EAL and monolinguals on complex clauses, the interaction between emerging bilingualism and vocabulary knowledge in the societal language predicted different patterns of growth in syntactic complexity. Children with EAL frequently use different syntactic structures to achieve similar syntactic complexity and diversity. These findings demonstrate that in early primary school, children with EAL have syntactic skills comparable to their monolingual peers

Ten simple rules for implementing open and reproducible research practices after attending a training course

Open, reproducible, and replicable research practices are a fundamental part of science. Training is often organized on a grassroots level, offered by early career researchers, for early career researchers. Buffet style courses that cover many topics can inspire participants to try new things; however, they can also be overwhelming. Participants who want to implement new practices may not know where to start once they return to their research team. We describe ten simple rules to guide participants of relevant training courses in implementing robust research practices in their own projects, once they return to their research group. This includes (1) prioritizing and planning which practices to implement, which involves obtaining support and convincing others involved in the research project of the added value of implementing new practices; (2) managing problems that arise during implementation; and (3) making reproducible research and open science practices an integral part of a future research career. We also outline strategies that course organizers can use to prepare participants for implementation and support them during this process

Grammar Contributions to Reading Comprehension in Children Learning English as an Additional Language and Monolingual Peers with Similar School Language Exposure

Background Children with English as an Additional Language (EAL) often underachieve in reading comprehension relative to monolingual peers, likely reflecting differences in oral language proficiency in the additional language. However, previous studies have been limited by variable exposure to English, limited range of English proficiency in both groups, and few language measures beyond vocabulary. This study examined grammar as a predictor of later English reading comprehension in a unique population who all started formal education at age 4-5 and had varying levels of English language proficiency at school entry. Methods Teacher-rated English language proficiency scores were taken for a population sample of 7267 children (age 4-5). A stratified sub-sample of 61 children with EAL and 529 monolinguals was tested in Year 1 (age 5-6) and Year 3 (age 7-8) on grammar, vocabulary, and word and non-word reading (WNW). Reading comprehension was assessed in Year 3. Results There were no group differences in reading comprehension. Structural Equation Models demonstrated that for both groups, a unidimensional language construct combining grammar and vocabulary was highly stable and predicted reading comprehension after accounting for early and concurrent WNW. Discussion Children with similar exposure to academic English and education quality use WNW and oral language skills in comparable ways to achieve equivalent levels of reading comprehension in mid-primary school, regardless of whether English is their first or additional language. Children with poor English language proficiency at school entry should be prioritised for targeted oral language support including grammar to enhance literacy development

Development of complex syntax in the narratives of children with English as an Additional Language and their monolingual peers

Background: English syntax acquisition is crucial for developing literacy but may be challenging for many children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). This study longitudinally investigates syntactic complexity and diversity of stories retold by children with EAL and their monolingual peers as well as the relationship between syntax and vocabulary. Methods: Sixty-one children with EAL were matched to their monolingual peers on sex, age and teacher-rated language proficiency. Children’s narratives were collected in Year 1 (age 5-6) and Year 3 (age 7-8) and coded for clause type. Dependent variables included Mean Length of Utterance in words (MLUw) and Clausal Density (CD) as measures of syntactic complexity and Complex Syntax Type-Token Ratio (CS TTR) estimating syntactic diversity. Results: Children with EAL presented syntactically complex and diverse narratives equivalent to monolingual peers in Year 1 and Year 3. Growth rate in syntactic complexity was associated with English vocabulary in Year 1. Among children with low vocabulary, children with EAL developed syntactic complexity at a faster rate than monolingual peers, while the opposite was true in the high-vocabulary group. Children with average vocabulary progressed at parallel rates. Children with EAL and their monolingual peers used broadly the same complex structures but with varying frequency. Conclusions: In this longitudinal study comparing children with EAL and monolinguals on complex clauses, the interaction between emerging bilingualism and vocabulary knowledge in the societal language predicted different patterns of growth in syntactic complexity. Children with EAL might use language differently than their monolingual peers to achieve similar syntactic complexity and diversity. These findings demonstrate that in early primary school, children with EAL have syntactic skills comparable to their monolingual peers

Ten simple rules for implementing open and reproducible research practices after attending a training course

Training in robust research practices is becoming increasingly common. However, many course participants may encounter challenges in implementation of what they learned after returning to their research groups. In this piece, we summarize insights and "lessons learned" from a group of former course participants. We offer practical tips on implementation and cultural change that may be useful for researchers at any career stage. In addition, we provide a list of considerations for course instructors to help them support course attendees after training is over