Investigating the acquisition of English morphology among Malay-English bilingual secondary school students under different home language exposure

Abstract

Home language exposure is a key factor in the language acquisition of ESL learners, enhancing development and facilitating learning among bilinguals. However, its impact varies across language groups and learner demographics, raising questions about the influence of bilingual home environments on language acquisition. This study investigates the English morphological acquisition of Malay-English bilingual secondary school students from three distinct home language environments: English-dominant, Malay-dominant, and equally dominant in both languages. Using Processability Theory, data were collected via parental questionnaires and elicitation tasks. Findings show that participants reach advanced stages of morphological acquisition (Sentence Procedures and Phrasal Procedures) even without having English as the main home language. While home language exposure alone does not determine English acquisition, factors like parental support, family interaction, and available resources significantly enhance learning. This study provides valuable insights for parents of bilingual learners, researchers, and policymakers in understanding and supporting bilingual language acquisition.