Children'S Attitudes Toward Languages and Perceptions of Performers’ Social Status in the Context of Songs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of 5th grade Spanish-English bilingual children toward songs performed in Spanish and English. After listening to each song, children answered a series of questions measuring their attitude towards the language, familiarity with the language, and judgment of the performer's social status. Children were found to have a significantly more favorable attitude toward English than Spanish in the context of song. They also rated English-singing performers to be of a higher social status. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between their attitude towards the Spanish language and the social status rating.