Journals / Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 26 Sayı: 3

Views and Experiences of Turkish-French Bilingual Children, Their Parents, and Teachers Regarding the Language Acquisition Process

Türkçe-Fransızca İki Dilli Çocukların, Ebeveynlerinin ve Öğretmenlerinin Dil Edinim Sürecine İlişkin Görüş ve Deneyimleri

Pages
1789–1810
Publication Date
2026-09-30
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that children have stronger comprehension skills in their native language, but use their second language more effectively, particularly in speaking.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This research aims to explore the views and experiences of Turkish-French bilingual children, their parents, and teachers regarding language acquisition in the context of bilingual experiences in early childhood.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Four bilingual children aged 5-6 living in France, eight of their parents, and three Turkish teachers teaching Turkish and Turkish culture to the children participated in the study.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that children have stronger comprehension skills in their native language, but use their second language more effectively, particularly in speaking.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:iki dilli · küçük çocuk · ebeveyn dil görüşleri

Abstract

This research aims to explore the views and experiences of Turkish-French bilingual children, their parents, and teachers regarding language acquisition in the context of bilingual experiences in early childhood. This research adopted a case study design, which is one of the qualitative research methods. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling methods from among Turkish families living in France, based on the children’s age and bilingualism criteria. Four bilingual children aged 5-6 living in France, eight of their parents, and three Turkish teachers teaching Turkish and Turkish culture to the children participated in the study. The data were collected using semi-structured interview forms designed for children, families, and teachers. To examine the language acquisition processes, semi-structured interviews were conducted independently with parents, teachers, and children. Parents and teachers stated that children should first acquire their native language correctly and adequately, and subsequently learn the second language at a good level. On the other hand, while children noted that they used French more easily in speaking skills, they felt more comfortable with Turkish in listening and comprehension skills. The findings indicate that children have stronger comprehension skills in their native language, but use their second language more effectively, particularly in speaking.

Özet

Bu araştırmanın amacı, erken çocukluk dönemindeki iki dillilik deneyimleri bağlamında, Türkçe-Fransızca iki dilli çocukların, ebeveynlerinin ve öğretmenlerinin dil edinim sürecine ilişkin görüş ve deneyimlerini ortaya koymaktır. Çalışmada, nitel araştırma desenlerinden biri olan durum çalışması kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu; Fransa'da ikamet eden Türk aileler içerisinden, çocukların yaşı ve iki dillilik durumları ölçüt kabul edilerek amaçlı ve kartopu örnekleme tekniğiyle belirlenmiştir. Çalışmaya, Fransa’da yaşayan 5-6 yaş aralığında dört iki dilli çocuk, onların sekiz ebeveyni ve çocuklara Türkçe ve Türk kültürü öğreten üç Türk öğretmen katılmıştır. Veri toplama araçları, çocuklar, aileler ve öğretmenler için hazırlanan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formlarıdır. Araştırma kapsamında dil edinim süreçlerini incelemek amacıyla; ebeveynlerle, öğretmenlerle ve çocuklarla birbirinden bağımsız olarak yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ebeveynler ve öğretmenler, çocukların öncelikle ana dilini doğru ve yeterli bir şekilde edinmeleri, ardından ikinci dilini iyi düzeyde öğrenmeleri gerektiği yönünde görüş bildirmişlerdir. Çocuklar ise konuşma becerisinde Fransızcayı daha kolay kullandıklarını belirtmişken dinleme ve anlama becerilerinde Türkçede daha rahat olduklarını ifade etmişlerdir. Bulgular, çocukların ana dilde daha güçlü anlama becerisine sahip olduklarını, buna karşın ikinci dili özellikle konuşmada daha etkin kullandıklarını göstermektedir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Aydogan, S. (2026). Views and Experiences of Turkish-French Bilingual Children, Their Parents, and Teachers Regarding the Language Acquisition Process. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 26 Sayı: 3, 1789–1810. https://doi.org/10.17240/aibuefd.2026..-1835592

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (74)

  1. Akdoğan Öztürk, S., & Yücelsin Taş, Y. T. (2018). Fransa’daki üçüncü kuşak Türklerin kültürel uyum durumlarının incelenmesi [An investigation of the acculturation of third generation Turks in France]. Erzincan Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 11(1), 55-66. https://izlik.org/JA77ZU42FE
  2. Akgül, E., Yazıcı, D., & Akman, B. (2019). Views of parents preferring to raise a bilingual child. Early Child Development and Care, 189(10), 1588-1601. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2017.1400541
  3. Akıncı, M. A. (2014). Fransa’daki Türk göçmenlerinin etnik ve dinî kimlik algıları [Ethnic and religious identity perceptions of Turkish immigrants in France]. Bilig, Journal of Social Sciences of the Turkish World, (70), 29-58. https://doi.org/10.12995/bilig.2014.7002
  4. Akıncı, M. A. (2017). Fransa’daki Türklerin eğitim durumu ve toplumsal koşulları [The educational and social situations of Turks in France]. Türkiyeli göçmenlerin göç alan ülkelerde egitim durumu ve toplumsal kosulları. In Z. Korkmaz (Ed.), 116–139. Politeknik.
  5. Ali, A. M. (2023). The effect of bilingualism on cognitive development in children: Review article. Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences, 62(4), Article 20. https://doi.org/10.36473/ujhss.v62i4.2278
  6. Babayiğit, S., Hitch, G. J., Kandru-Pothineni, S., Clarke, A., & Warmington, M. (2022). Vocabulary limitations undermine bilingual children’s reading comprehension despite bilingual cognitive strengths. Reading and Writing, 35(7), 1651-1673. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-021-10240-8
  7. Baştuğ, D., & Kara, Ş. (2018). İki dilli Türk çocuklarının ana dil öğretimine ilişkin aile görüşleri [Family opinions on mother tongue teaching of bilingual Turkish children]. Journal of Uludağ University Faculty of Education, 31, 31-42. https://doi.org/10.19171/uefad.430142
  8. Berger, R. (2015). Now I see it, now I don’t: researcher’s position and reflexivity in qualitative research. Qualitative Research, 15(2), 219-234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794112468475
  9. Bialystok, E. (2011). Reshaping the mind: The benefits of bilingualism. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 65(4), 229–235. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025406
  10. Boese, J., Busch, J., Leyendecker, B., & Scherger, A. L. (2023). Supporting second language acquisition of bilingual preschool children through professionalization of caregivers in specialized preschool programs. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1149447. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1149447
  11. Candemir Özkan, C., Saraç, F., & Akıncı, M. A. (2022). Fransa’da yaşayan üçüncü nesil Türklerin uyumu, kimlik algıları ve dil tercihleri [Integration, identity perceptions and language preferences of third generation Turks living in France]. Uluslararası Toplumsal Bilimler Dergisi, 6(3), 153-181. http://dx.doi.org/10.30830/tobider.sayi.12.8
  12. Cangelosi, M., Borghetti, C., & Bonifacci, P. (2024). How parents’ perceived value of the heritage language predicts their children’s skills. Languages, 9(3), 80. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9030080
  13. Cekaite, A., & Simonsson, M. (2023). Guided play supporting immigrant children’s participation and bilingual development in preschools. International Journal of Early Childhood, 55(3), 403-420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-023-00370-1
  14. Cenoz, J. (2003). The additive effect of bilingualism on third language acquisition: A review. International Journal of Bilingualism, 7(1), 71-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069030070010501
  15. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Nitel araştırma ve araştırma tasarımı: Beş yaklaşım arasından seçim [Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches]. (4. baskı, Çev. A. Ersoy). Ankara: Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
  16. Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
  17. Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2016). Conflicting language ideologies and contradictory language practices in Singaporean multilingual families. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37(7), 694–709 https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2015.1127926
  18. Cycyk, L. M., & De Anda, S. (2021). Media exposure and language experience: Examining associations from home observations in Mexican immigrant families in the US. Infant Behavior and Development, 63, 101554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101554
  19. Çayırlı, N. ve Karatay, H. (2024). Fransa'daki iki dilli Türk çocuklarının türkçe yazma sorunları [Turkish writing problems of bilingual Turkish children in France]. Türkofon, 11 (1), 22-33. https://izlik.org/JA55RS46JE
  20. Daskalaki, E, Blom, W B T, Chondrogianni, V & Paradis, J (2020). Effects of parental input quality in child heritage language acquisition. Journal of child language, 47(4), 709-736. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000919000850
  21. Datko, J. (2015). Semi-structured interview in language pedagogy research. Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 3(2), 142-156.
  22. Davison, M. D., Hammer, C. S., & Lawrence, F. R. (2011). Associations between preschool language and first grade reading outcomes in bilingual children. Journal of Communication Disorders, 44(4), 444–458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2011.02.003
  23. De Houwer, A. (2007). Parental language input patterns and children’s bilingual use. Applied Psycholinguistics, 28(3), 411–424. https://doi:10.1017/S0142716407070221
  24. De Houwer, A. (2020). Harmonious bilingual development: Young families’ well-being in language contact situations. International Journal of Bilingualism, 24(5–6), 1022–1041. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006913489202
  25. Denizeau, A. (2024). The Turkish diaspora in France (CATS Network Paper No. 6). CATS Network.
  26. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2011). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
  27. DiCicco-Bloom, B. & Crabtree, B.F. (2006), The qualitative research interview. Medical Education, 40: 314-321. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006.02418.x
  28. Engel de Abreu, P. M., Nikaedo, C., Loff, A., Snowling, M. J., Hulme, C., & Fricke, S. (2025). Assessing the ımpact of a heritage language ıntervention in preschool: A controlled trial with dual language learners from ımmigrant families. Scientific Studies of Reading, 29(6), 521-543. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2025.2554672
  29. Ergenekon, E., & Işıkoğlu, N. (2026). Examining the impact of dialogic reading interventions with math picture books. Cognitive Development, 78, 101685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2026.101685
  30. Escudero, P., Jones Diaz, C., Hajek, J., Wigglesworth, G., & Smit, E. A. (2020). Probability of heritage language use at a supportive early childhood setting in Australia. In Frontiers in Education, 5 (93), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00093
  31. Gottardo, A., Chen, X., & Huo, M. R. Y. (2021). Understanding within‐and cross‐language relations among language, preliteracy skills, and word reading in bilingual learners: Evidence from the science of reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 56, 371-S390. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.410
  32. Guardado, M. (2018). Discourse, ideology and heritage language socialization: Micro and macro perspectives (Vol. 104). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
  33. Grøver, V., Lawrence, J., & Rydland, V. (2018). Bilingual preschool children’s second-language vocabulary development: The role of first-language vocabulary skills and second-language talk input. International Journal of Bilingualism, 22(2), 234-250. https://doi.org/10.1177/136700691666638
  34. Hammer, C. S., Lawrence, F. R., & Miccio, A. W. (2007). Bilingual children’s language abilities and early reading outcomes in Head Start and kindergarten. Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools, 38(3), 237–248. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161 1461(2007/025)
  35. He, A. W. (2006). Toward an identity theory of the development of Chinese as a heritage language. Heritage Language Journal, 4(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.46538/hlj.4.1.1
  36. İnan, S., & Harris, Y. R. (2025). Beyond the home: Rethinking heritage language maintenance as a collective responsibility. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1616510. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1616510
  37. Jones Diaz, C., Cardona, B., & Escudero, P. (2024). Exploring the perceptions of early childhood educators on the delivery of multilingual education in Australia: Challenges and opportunities. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 25(4), 488-502. https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491221137900
  38. Kim, W. J., & Yim, D. (2024). Exploring the influence of the home literacy environment on early literacy and vocabulary skills in Korean–English bilingual children. Frontiers in psychology, 15, 1336292. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1336292
  39. Koşkulu-Sancar, S., de Graaff, R., & Tribushinina, E. (2026). The effect of bilingualism on foreign language learning: A longitudinal study from kindergarten to the end of primary school. System, 138, 103972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2026.103972
  40. Krenca, K., Segers, E., Chen, X., Shakory, S., Steele, J., & Verhoeven, L. (2020). Phonological specificity relates to phonological awareness and reading ability in English–French bilingual children. Reading and Writing, 33(2), 267-291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-019-09959-2
  41. Kurt Yahşi, B, & Öğretir Özçelik, A. D. (2025). İki dilli Türk çocukların erken okuryazarlık becerilerine yönelik ihtiyaç analizi [A needs analysis for the early literacy skills of bilingual Turkish children]. Milli Eğitim Dergisi, 54(245), 117-152. https://doi.org/10.37669/milliegitim.1523924
  42. Liang, F., & Shin, D. S. (2021). Heritage language maintenance of Chinese immigrant families: Perceptions, practices, and challenges. Bilingual Research Journal, 44(1), 23-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2021.1922539
  43. Magacho Borsari, J. (2025). Perceptions of parents and educators on the role of early childhood education in the maintenance of heritage language [Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia]. https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0449850
  44. Matrat, M., Delage, H., & Kehoe, M. (2022). Dynamic assessment of word learning to diagnose developmental language disorder in French-speaking monolingual and bilingual children. Languages, 7(3), 181. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7030181
  45. Merriam, S. B. (2018). Nitel araştırma: desen ve uygulama [Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation] (S. Turan). Ankara: Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
  46. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage.
  47. Montrul, S. (2023). Heritage languages: Language acquired, language lost, language regained. Annual Review of Linguistics, 9(1), 399-418. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-linguistics-030521-050236
  48. Nguyen, M. V., & Winsler, A. (2021). Early bilingualism predicts enhanced later foreign language learning in secondary school. Developmental Psychology, 57(11), 1926-1942. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001248
  49. Olabiyi, O. J., & Roman, N. V. (2025). Mapping the intellectual landscape of heritage language transmission: a bibliometric review of strategies and sociocultural dynamics within families (2014–2024). Discover Education. 5, 65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-01042-z
  50. Özkaya, P. G. (2021). The Effect of Tales on the Development of Turkish Language Skills: A Meta-Analysis Study. International Journal of Progressive Education, 17(6), 232-245. https://doi:10.29329/ijpe.2021.382.16
  51. Paap, K. R., Johnson, H. A., & Sawi, O. (2015). Bilingual advantages in executive functioning either do not exist or are restricted to very specific and undetermined circumstances. Cortex, 69, 265–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2015.04.014
  52. Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y
  53. Paradis, J. (2010). The interface between bilingual development and specific language impairment. Applied Psycholinguistics, 31(2), 227–252. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716409990373
  54. Paradis, J., & Jia, R. (2017). Bilingual children's long‐term outcomes in English as a second language: language environment factors shape individual differences in catching up with monolinguals. Developmental Science, 20(1), e12433. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12433
  55. Peace-Hughes, T., de Lima, P., Cohen, B., Jamieson, L., Tisdall, E. K. M., & Sorace, A. (2021). What do children think of their own bilingualism? Exploring bilingual children’s attitudes and perceptions. International Journal of Bilingualism, 25(5), 1183-1199. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069211000853
  56. Place, S., & Hoff, E. (2016). Effects and noneffects of input in bilingual environments on dual language skills in young children. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 19(5), 1023–1041. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728915000322
  57. Rogoff, B. (1990). Apprenticeship in thinking: Cognitive development in social context. Oxford university press.
  58. Rowe, M. L., & Snow, C. E. (2020). Analyzing input quality along three dimensions: Interactive, linguistic, and conceptual. Journal of Child Language, 47(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000919000655
  59. Schwab, S., & Güneşli, H. (2025). Monolingual habitus through the lens of multilingual parents. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2025.2455985
  60. Sevinç, Y. (2016). Language maintenance and shift under pressure: Three generations of the Turkish immigrant community in the Netherlands. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2016(242), 81-117. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2016-0034
  61. Suggate, S. P., Lenhart, J., Vaahtoranta, E., & Lenhard, W. (2021). Interactive elaborative storytelling fosters vocabulary in pre-schoolers compared to repeated-reading and phonemic awareness interventions. Cognitive Development, 57, 100996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100996
  62. Şimşek, Z. C., & Işıkoğlu Erdoğan, N. (2021). Comparing the effects of different book reading techniques on young children’s language development. Reading and Writing, 34(4), 817-839. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-020-10091-9
  63. Tang, X., & Zheng, Y. (2023). Unpacking complex language ideologies toward heritage language maintenance: a case of Chinese migrant families in the US. International Multilingual Research Journal, 17(4), 333-350. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2023.2209358
  64. Tiulkova, E., Marijanović, V., Camps, J.-F., & Köpke, B. (2024). Assessing the role of input factors in harmonious bilingual development in children. Languages, 9(9), 289. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090289
  65. Torregrossa, J., Eisenbeiß, S., & Bongartz, C. (2023). Boosting bilingual metalinguistic awareness under dual language activation: Some implications for bilingual education. Language Learning, 73(3), 683-722. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12552
  66. Tuller, L., Hamann, C., Chilla, S., Ferré, S., Morin, E., Prevost, P., dos Santos, C., Abed Ibrahim, L., & Zebib, R. (2018). Identifying language impairment in bilingual children in France and Germany. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53(5), 888–904. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12397
  67. Unsworth, S. (2016). Quantity and quality of language input in bilingual development. In E. Nicoladis & S. Montanari (Eds.), Bilingualism across the lifespan. 103–121. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110341249-008
  68. Valerio, M. A., Rodriguez, N., Winkler, P., Lopez, J., Dennison, M., Liang, Y., & Turner, B. J. (2016). Comparing two sampling methods to engage hard-to-reach communities in research priority setting. BMC medical research methodology, 16(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-016-0242-z
  69. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (Vol. 86). Harvard university press.
  70. Wertsch, J. V. (1985). Vygotsky and the social formation of mind. Harvard university press.
  71. Wilson, S. (2020). Family language policy through the eyes of bilingual children: The case of French heritage speakers in the UK. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 41(2), 121-139. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2019.1595633
  72. Winsler, A., Díaz, R. M., Espinosa, L., & Rodríguez, J. L. (1999). When learning a second language does not mean losing the first: Bilingual language development in low income, Spanish speaking children attending bilingual preschool. Child Development, 70(2), 349–362. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467 8624.t01 1 00026
  73. Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (1999). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri [Qualitative research methods in social sciences]. Seçkin Yayıncılık.
  74. Quintela Do Carmo, G., Vinuesa, V., Dembélé, M., & Ayotte-Beaudet, J.-P. (2024). Going Beyond Adaptation: An Integrative Review and Ethical Considerations of Semi-Structured Interviews With Elementary-Aged Children. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241247474