Early Language-based Interventions In Preschool Bilingual With Language Impairment: A Narrative Review Of Evidence

Abstract

Background: Language impairment (LI) and bilingualism are considered the most critical challenges for speech and language therapists and parents of preschool children. To provide language intervention in a bilingual and bicultural environment, it is necessary to investigate the most effective evidence for alleviating the symptoms of language impairment. Objectives: To synthesize findings on early language intervention and its effects on preschool bilingual children with LI, and to investigate the effectiveness of early language interventions for language impairment and the skills targeted in speech and language therapy interventions. Methods & Procedures: In 2024, an electronic database search on ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar was conducted to identify articles investigating Language-based intervention in preschool bilingual children with LI. Evidence investigating to early language interventions for preschool bilingual children with LI was selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Outcomes & Results: The review found eight lines of evidence, most of which were vocabulary-based language intervention, home language intervention, and phonological intervention. The evidence targeted receptive and expressive vocabulary, grammatical skills, and conceptual vocabulary. Despite their limitations, the results showed positive effects of early language interventions on the comprehension and production of vocabulary in bilinguals with language impairment. Conclusions and implications: The review results indicate limitations in language intervention programs directed at bilingual children with language impairment, despite the positive impact of intervention on vocabulary. The research needs to be extended to typical and atypical monolingual and bilingual children to understand the implications of diverse, language-based interventions on language domains such as phonology, grammar, narrative skills, literacy, and cross-language transfer.