Volume: 20  Number: 1  Page: 52–69  doi:10.2167/lcc326.0

A Study to Evaluate the Language Development of Post-Institutionalised Children Adopted from Eastern European Countries

Lisa A. Schoenbrodt1, Deborah T. Carran2 and Janet Preis3 1Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Loyola College in Maryland, 4501 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210, USA, 2Graduate Division of Education, Department of Teacher Leadership and Development, Johns Hopkins University, 6740 Alexander Bell Drive, Columbia, MD 21046-2100, USA and 3Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Loyola College in Maryland, 4501 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210, USA

This study examined data collected over a period of three years from 48 children adopted from Eastern European orphanages. English language acquisition and present levels of performance were measured by the standardised language assessment, the Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language (CASL). The participants ranged from 3 to 16 years of age, and were assessed on three separate occasions, one year apart, using the core assessment battery of the CASL. Results showed there were significant differences found for the non-literal language and pragmatic judgment subscales when measured across time. Beyond those areas, there was little developmental change in language scores. Other findings were that at the initial assessment or baseline, time in country heavily influenced subscales, supporting previous research that children in the country for shorter periods of time performed better than those in the USA for longer periods. Results of this study support the need for early intervention in language use for this population. While opportunities exist in the school setting for pragmatic skills to develop, these limited experiences may not be enough for foreign-born adopted children to catch up to non-adopted peers.

Keywords: language development, bilingual language, post institutionalised language

© 2007 L.A. Schoenbrodt et al.

Access this article