Bilingual Hong Kong primary school children’s vocabulary: The impact of Filipina domestic workers

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Filipina domestic workers (FilDWs) on bilingual Hong Kong children’s language development. More specifically, it looked at FilDWs’ influence on the L1 Cantonese-receptive vocabulary and word reading, and the L2-English receptive vocabulary of bilingual Hong Kong primary school children attending an English Medium of Instruction (EMI) school. Methodology: A total of 64 children aged 8–9 participated in the main study. Thirty-four children from homes with FilDWs and 30 from homes with no FilDW took receptive vocabulary tests in Cantonese and English, a Cantonese word reading test, and a working memory capacity (WMC) test. Data and analyses: Test scores of both participating groups were compared and analyzed with independent t-tests. The content validity index was employed to validate the receptive vocabulary tests. Findings: Participants from households with FilDWs scored significantly higher on the English receptive vocabulary test, while no significant differences between the two groups were found on either the Cantonese tests or the WMC test. The results suggest that FilDWs exert a positive impact on the L2-English receptive vocabulary, without a negative impact on L1 Cantonese-receptive vocabulary or word reading, of bilingual Hong Kong primary school children from EMI schools. Originality: This study’s Socioeconomic-status (SES)-matched groups (as measured via level of maternal education) and comparable levels of school-based language exposure clearly highlight the role of home language, especially L2 English, exposure. It is also the first study investigating the impact of FilDWs on children’s language acquisition that employed a WMC test. Implications: The study makes a practical contribution by informing Hong Kong parents of bilingual children attending EMI schools that they can expect their children’s English vocabulary to benefit via the employment of a FilDW, without a trade-off effect on L1-Cantonese.