Helping Spanish–English toddlers who talk late learn words in both languages
Talking Late in Two Languages
This project looks at whether the timing and amount of hearing English and Spanish helps Spanish–English bilingual toddlers who are late to start talking learn new words.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11317194 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
I am a parent of a Spanish–English bilingual toddler who is late to talk. Researchers will use game-like word-learning tasks where children hear new words paired with pictures across multiple short sessions, and they will change how often and when children hear each language. The team uses a cross-situational statistical word learning approach to see how children link words to meanings when exposures are spread across two languages. My child may be asked to attend sessions at the university or participate remotely while researchers track which words they learn.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are Spanish–English bilingual toddlers (about ages 2–5) who are late to begin talking or show smaller-than-expected vocabularies for their age.
Not a fit: Children who are monolingual, older than early childhood, or who have severe hearing loss or other medical conditions that prevent participation may not benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could suggest simple ways families and educators organize bilingual exposure to help late-talking toddlers learn vocabulary more effectively.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research using cross-situational statistical word learning shows children can learn words from repeated ambiguous exposures, but testing how exposure timing affects bilingual late talkers is a new application.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kaushanskaya, Margarita — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Kaushanskaya, Margarita
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.