From Bilingual to Biliterate Secondary Discourse Abilities in Bilingual Children’s Story Telling Evidence from Greek H...

This research study offers valuable insights into bilingual children's narrative development, examining how 10-12-year-old Greek-German and Greek-English bilinguals create stories in both spoken and written forms across different cultural contexts. The findings provide concrete evidence that children can maintain strong storytelling abilities in both languages when given proper educational support, making this work particularly relevant for parents and educators supporting multilingual learners. The cross-cultural comparison between children growing up in Germany and the United States adds meaningful depth to understanding how environment influences bilingual narrative skills.

What distinguishes this research is its practical demonstration that balanced bilingual abilities are achievable when language dominance isn't too pronounced and educational systems provide adequate scaffolding. Parents of bilingual children will find reassurance in the study's conclusion that supporting both languages doesn't necessarily compromise narrative competence in either. The research methodology focusing on both oral and written production offers a comprehensive view of language development that can inform both classroom instruction and home literacy practices. This evidence-based approach provides crucial guidance for nurturing bilingual children's storytelling capabilities across multiple languages and cultural contexts.