Socioeconomic status as a proxy for input quality in bilingual children?

This study investigates the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) as a proxy for input quality, in predicting language proficiency. Different operationalizations of SES are compared, including simple measures (parental education and parental occupation) and complex measures combining two dimensions (among parental education, parental occupation, and deprivation risk). All significantly predict overall English proficiency scores in a diverse group of 5- to 7-year-olds acquiring English and another language. The most informative SES measure in that respect is shown to be a complex measure combining parental education and parental occupation. That measure is used in a second set of analyses showing that different aspects of language are affected differently by variations in SES and in language exposure.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on predicting language proficiency, finding that the most effective predictor is a complex measure combining parental education and parental occupation, while different aspects of language are affected differently by SES and language exposure.