Short-term memory and knowledge of L1 and L2 by Roma children of Cyprus

Authors

  • Hristo Kyuchukov* University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland; Academy of Sciences, Kazakhstan
  • Helen Kyratji Frederick University of Limassol, Cyprus
  • Chryso Pelekani University of Cyprus in Nicosia, Cyprus

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29038/eejpl.2024.11.1.kyu

Keywords:

short-term memory, bilingualism, Turkish, Roma, Gurbets, language learning, Processability theory, Cyprus

Abstract

The study of short-term memory and language learning conducted with primary school Roma children in Cyprus aimed to determine how children who grow up in economically disadvantaged families learn their mother tongue (L1) Turkish and their second language (L2) Cypriot Greek. Two groups of children (20 children aged 8 and 20 children aged 10), a total of 40, were tested with the Picture short-term memory test, the Peabody vocabulary test, the sentence repetition test and the number repetition test. The study seeks to answer the research question: "How does the short-term memory test help Roma children to perform the tests in their L1 and L2?" The research findings were statistically analysed with SPSS and ANOVA and showed correlations between the independent factors of age group, gender, and testing language. The result showed that the children performed the tests much better in their mother tongue (L1). They need help learning some of the grammatical categories from the Greek language. The Processability Theory of Pienemann (1998) is examined. According to this theory, the production of linguistic structures is possible without any conscious or non-conscious attention because the locus of the attentive process is short-term memory. For the children to attain the necessary academic level of Greek, the teachers working with Roma children should receive training to develop children's bilingualism when instructing children growing up in a multilingual environment such as Cypriot society.

Disclosure Statement

The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.

* Corresponding author: Hristo Kyuchukov,

orcid32.png 0000-0002-1965-8908mail_image2.pnghristo.kyuchukov@us.edu.pl

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Baddeley, A. (2017). Modularity, working memory and language acquisition. Second Language Research, 33(3), 299-311.

Cummins, J. (2005). A proposal for action: Strategies for recognising heritage language competence as a learning resource within the mainstream classroom. Modern Language Journal, 89, 585–592.

Cummins, J. (2007). Pedagogies for the poor? Realigning reading instruction for low-income students with scientifically based reading research. Educational Researcher, 36(9), 564–572. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X07313156.

Jones, G. & Macken, B. (2018). Long-term associative learning predicts verbal short-term memory performance. Memory & Cognition, 46, 216-229 . https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-017-0759-3

Juffs, A. (2006). Working memory, second language acquisition and low-educated second language and literacy learners. In: Van de Craats, I., Kurvers, J., & Young-Scholten, M., (Eds.) Low-educated second language and literacy acquisition (LESLLA): Proceedings of the inaugural symposium. Tilburg University.

Kandylaki, A. & Kallinikaki, T. (2018). Critical, anti-oppressive and human rights social work in the ‘rough pathways’ of the Muslim Roma neighbourhoods in Thrace: Towards inclusion in education. The British Journal of Social Work, 48(6), 1559–1575. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcx113

Kyuchukov, H., de Villiers, J., Zhu, Y., & Zhong, I. (2024). Assessing the acquisition of Romani in Roma children. Language Acquisition, 31, 1-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/10489223.2024.2310849

Kyuchukov, H. (2024). The Multilingualism of Roma children: A comparative study. In: S. Karpava, N. Pavlou, & K. Grohmann, (Eds.). Multilingualism, Language Learning, and Learning. (pp. 39-55). Cambridge Scholars Publishing,

Kyuchukov, H. (2023). A comparative study of language learning barriers of German refugee and Cyprus Migrant children. In Sh. Arun, Kh. Badwan, H. Taibi, & F. Batool, (Eds.). Global migration and diversity of educational experiences in the global South and North. A child-centered approach. (pp. 183-198). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003343141-14

Kyuchukov, H. (2021). Literacy Development of Roma Children in L2: A Comparative Psycholinguistic Study. East European Journal of Psycholinguistics, 8 (2),103-123. https://doi.org/10.29038/eejpl.2021.8.2.kyu

Marini, A., Eliseeva, N., & Fabbro, F. (2016). Impact of early second-language acquisition on the development of first language and verbal short-term and working memory. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(2), 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2016.1238865

Marinis, T. and Cunnings, I. (2018) Using Psycholinguistic Techniques in Second Language Teaching Seting. In C. Wright, Th. Piske, & M. Young-Scholten, (Eds.). Mind Matters in SLA. (pp. 185-202). Multilingual Matters.

Martínez‐González, R., Symeou, L., Álvarez‐Blanco, L., Roussounidou, E., Iglesias‐Muñiz, J., & Cao‐Fernández, M. (2008). Family involvement in the education of potential drop‐out children: a comparative study between Spain and Cyprus. Educational Psychology, 28(5), 505–520. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410701811121

New, W. (2011). Stigma and Roma education policy reform in Slovakia. European Education, 43(4), 45-61.

New, W. and Merry, M. (2012) Learning Who They “Really” Are: From Stigmatization to Opportunities to Learn in Greek Romani Education. In Z. Beckerman, & T. Geisen, (Eds.). International handbook of migration, minorities and education. Understanding cultural and social differences in processes of learning. (pp. 622-640). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1466-3_40

Pelekani, Ch. (2018). The Gurbetties of Cyprus and their language Gurbetcha. Doctoral thesis. University of Cyprus. Nicosia.

Pienemann, М. (1998). Language processing and second language development. Processibility Theory. John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Roma Civil Monitor (2023). Civil society monitoring report on the quality of the national strategic framework for Roma equality, inclusion, and participation in Cyprus. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. https://doi.org/10.2838/668914

Samko, M. (2020). Language Problems from the Perspective of the Roma in the School Environment. Journal of Foreign Languages, Cultures & Civilizations, 8(1), 52–56.

Samko M., Čerešník M. & Čerešníková M. (2021). First Language Acquisition by Roma and Slovak Children. East European Journal of Psycholinguistics, 8(2), 223-232. https://doi.org/10.29038/eejpl.2021.8.2.sam

Siegel, J. (2003) Social context. In S. J. Doughty & M. H. Long, (Eds.). The Handbook of Second Language Acquisition. (pp. 178-223). Blackwell Publishing,

Symeou, L., Karagiorgi, Y., Roussounidou, E., & Kaloyirou, C. (2009). Roma and their education in Cyprus: reflections on INSETRom teacher training for Roma inclusion. Intercultural Education, 20(6), 511–521. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675980903448551

Trimikliniotis, N. & Demetriou, C. (2009). The Cypriot Roma and the failure of education: Anti-discrimination and multiculturalism as a post-accession challenge. In N. Coureas, A. Varnava & M. Elia, (Eds.). The minorities of Cyprus: Development patterns and the identity of the internal-exclusion, (pp. 241-264). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Thorn, A. S. C., & Gathercole, S. E. (1999). Language-specific knowledge and short-term memory in bilingual and non-bilingual children. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A, 52(2), 303–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/713755823

Verhagen, J. and Leseman, P. (2016). How do verbal short-term memory and working memory relate to the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar? A comparison between first and second language learners. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 141, 65-82 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.06.015

Zembylas, M. (2012) Multiculturalism in a Deeply Divided Society: The Case of Cyprus. Z. Bekerman, T. Geisen, (Eds.), International Handbook of Migration, Minorities and Education. (pp. 605-662). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1466-3_39

Downloads

Published

2024-06-28

Issue

Section

Vol. 11 No. 1 (2024)

How to Cite

Kyuchukov, H., Kyratji , H., & Pelekani, C. (2024). Short-term memory and knowledge of L1 and L2 by Roma children of Cyprus. East European Journal of Psycholinguistics , 11(1), 109-124. https://doi.org/10.29038/eejpl.2024.11.1.kyu

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>