Language signs of developmental language disorder in Vietnamese and bilingual children
Clinical markers of DLD in bilingual and monolingual Vietnamese children - Diversity Supplement L. Dang
This project looks for language signs that help spot developmental language disorder in Vietnamese-speaking and Vietnamese-English bilingual children around preschool age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Diego State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11232576 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a parent, you would know researchers are comparing Vietnamese-speaking children who only speak Vietnamese with children who speak Vietnamese and English to find reliable language signs of DLD. They use tests like nonword repetition and sentence repetition and collect spoken language samples to look for grammatical patterns linked to DLD. One phase already tested nearly 200 children in Vietnam and the team is matching bilingual and monolingual children by age for further comparison. The work combines testing and language transcription to find markers that work whether a child is monolingual or bilingual.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are preschool-aged Vietnamese-speaking children (about 4–6 years), either monolingual Vietnamese or Vietnamese-English bilinguals, especially if there are concerns about language development.
Not a fit: Children who do not hear or use Vietnamese, those outside the study age range, or those with language problems caused by known hearing loss, neurological injury, or a diagnosed genetic syndrome may not benefit from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians and schools spot DLD earlier and more accurately in Vietnamese-speaking and bilingual children.
How similar studies have performed: Nonword and sentence repetition tests have worked as markers of DLD in many languages, but applying and validating them in Vietnamese and bilingual settings is newer and less tested.
Where this research is happening
San Diego, United States
- San Diego State University — San Diego, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pham, Giang Thuy — San Diego State University
- Study coordinator: Pham, Giang Thuy
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.