Word Learning in Bilingual Children

This study aims to understand how bilingual toddlers learn new words, focusing on how different types of word categories and parent language influence this process. Researchers will compare typically developing bilingual toddlers with those who are late talkers to see if they learn words in similar ways. You might be eligible if your child is between 24 and 30 months old and has exposure to both English and Spanish, or English and another language. The study will look at how children learn words from "Large Semantic Category Conditions" (like animals) and "Small Semantic Category Conditions" (like clothing). Success will be measured by how many words children learn, the properties of their vocabulary, and the language input from parents. The current status of the study is unclear, but it plans to enroll 80 children.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 80 participants. It compares word learning in different language contexts and word categories.
What's involved
Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Word learning, vocabulary network properties, and parent language input will be measured at Day 1.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT07600242

Word Learning in Bilingual Typical and Late Talking Children: The Role of Meaning and Input

Recruiting
NAAges 24–30InterventionalBasic science
Boston University Charles River Campus
~80 participants
Updated 2026-05-20 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Large Semantic Category ConditionSmall Semantic Category Condition

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Word learning
Measured over Day 1
+2 more outcomes measured
Bilingualism
Vocabulary Acquisition
Late Talkers
Network Science

NCT07600242

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Boston University

    Boston, Massachusettsstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

At least 10% exposure to both English and Spanish or at least 90% exposure to English and another language

Exclusion

Hearing impairment
Uncorrected visual impairment
Neurological impairment
Genetic syndromes
Neurodevelopmental disabilities (e.g. autism)
More than 10% exposure to a language other than English or Spanish
  • Word learningDay 1

    The researchers will assess learning through participants' looking behavior via experimental eye-tracking paradigms. Specifically, the researchers will measure how accurately and quickly participants look to the target object after hearing its name.

  • Vocabulary Network PropertiesDay 1

    The researchers will characterize participants' vocabulary size and structure using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDI). Vocabulary size will be calculated using the raw number of words produced (range: 0-680 words) and their age-matched percentile score from the MB-CDI (range: 0-100). Higher scores indicate larger vocabulary sizes.The researchers will also calculate how many words each participant knows in in two categories on the MB-CDI (i.e., animals \[0-43 words\] and tools \[0-28 words\]) across the languages they are learning (i.e., English and Spanish). Network properties may include the number of words in a category and the number of connections between words in a category.

  • Parent Language InputDay 1

    The researchers will calculate the number of words the parent says to their child during book reading and toy play activities. Language input will be defined as the total number of nouns and verbs (tokens) and the number of unique nouns and verbs (types).