Acquisition of Plural Markers in Typical Malayalam-English Speaking Bilingual Children.

Abstract

Language acquisition signifies the process in which children acquire and systematically use morphological forms to indicate plurality in one or more languages reflecting the influence of linguistic input, cognitive maturation, patterns of exposure across their first (L1) and second (L2) languages. The present study investigates the acquisition of plural markers in Typical Malayalam-English bilingual children systematically comparing their proficiency in the first language (Malayalam, L1) and second language (English, L2) among 30 children aged 6-7 years. Subjects were selected based on consistent bilingual exposure in home and school environments with strict exclusion of any history of neurological, psychiatric impairments, literacy difficulties in either language. Data collection was done in quiet well illuminated room employing picture-naming and description tasks with visual stimuli designed to elicit plural forms naturally. Responses were meticulously analyzed for the presence or absence of plural markers namely /kal/, /mar/, /ar/, unmarked forms with numbers and mass nouns in Malayalam; and -s, -es, -ies as well as irregular plurals in English. Malayalam plural markers showed high proficiency (86%) while English plural forms displayed comparatively lower proficiency with regular forms stronger and irregular forms weaker (62.67%).