Page 18 - Difference or Disorder Example 210216
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Chapter 13: SPANISH
Expressive Vocabulary Development
2‐5 words 12 months
4‐6 words 15 months
20‐50 words 18 months
200‐300 words 24 months
~1000 words 36 months
(Prath, et al., 2012)
SPECIAL NOTE: VOCABULARY
The vocabulary choices of Spanish‐English bilinguals acquiring the English language can
provide insight about whether a student demonstrates a language difference or disorder.
When bilingual children with typical development do not have the precise word for what they
want to say, they often use words that are close in meaning to the target (e.g., “turtle” for
“frog”). In contrast, bilingual children with language impairment often use nonspecific
vocabulary (“this,” “thing”) more often than their typically developing peers (Kester, 2004).
See the chart below for examples.
Semantically‐related
Target word substitution Nonspecific substitution
deer moose thing
frog turtle that
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