Early Bilingual Advantage? Comparing Afrikaans–South African English Bilingual Toddlers and Monolingual Peers in Early Vocabulary and Word Combining

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions: This study investigates early bilingual language development in Afrikaans–South African (SA) English toddlers in relation to their monolingual Afrikaans and SA English-speaking peers, focusing on different methods of measuring vocabulary size and the emergence of word combining. Design/Methodology/Approach: A cross-sectional design was employed, using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory, a parent-report tool, adapted for Afrikaans and SA English. Bilingual toddlers’ scores were compared with monolingual peers’ using Total Vocabulary (TV) and Total Conceptual Vocabulary (TCV), as well as word combining. Data and Analysis: Participants were 109 bilingual Afrikaans–SA English toddlers, 72 monolingual Afrikaans toddlers and 63 monolingual SA English toddlers aged 16 to 37 months. Correlations assessed age-vocabulary and vocabulary-word combining associations. Linear regression models estimated differences in outcomes between bilingual and monolingual children, controlling for age, sex and parental education and employment. Findings/Conclusions: Vocabulary was positively correlated with word combining. Bilinguals outperformed monolinguals on TV and, unexpectedly, on TCV, and performed similarly on single-language scores. Afrikaans monolinguals had lower odds of frequent word combining relative to bilinguals. Maternal education was significantly associated with higher vocabulary and more frequent word combining. Originality: This is the first South African study to assess bilingual toddlers using multiple vocabulary measures and to demonstrate a bilingual advantage in conceptual vocabulary. Significance/Implications: Findings emphasise the need for comprehensive assessment across languages, incorporating socio-demographic factors, and for consideration of the effects of linguistic and environmental contexts on bilingual performance. Limitations: Limitations include cross-sectional design and small sample size, especially for the monolingual groups. Future research can examine longitudinal development and broader multilingual contexts.