Language separation and awareness in young bilinguals: A parent-report approach

<p>Experimental research has explored multiple dimensions of how young bilinguals separate and gain awareness of their languages. However, the connections among these dimensions, their development, and the influence of environmental factors remain insufficiently understood. To investigate this, we developed the Language Separation and Awareness Questionnaire, a parent-report tool completed by 507 caregivers of bilingual children aged 1-5 years from Catalonia (Spain) and Quebec (Canada). Analysis revealed three underlying dimensions: Language Separation and Awareness as a core construct, and Pragmatic Differentiation and Language-based Social Preferences as separate but related dimensions. Language Separation and Awareness developed gradually until age 4, accelerated by metalinguistic conversations. Pragmatic Differentiation plateaued by age 3 and was related to family language strategies. Language-based Social Preferences were less pronounced overall. These results shed light on the structure and developmental timeline of language separation and awareness, and support parent reports as a valid tool for studying this construct.</p>