Home literacy environment, language use, and proficiency: Bilingual profiles in young learners

Expanded research is needed on how the home environment shapes bilingual proficiency in young children exposed to a different language at home than in early childhood education and care settings. This study examined whether variation in language use with parents, language proficiency, and home literacy environments reflect bilingual profiles. Participants included 320 Norwegian dual language learners (aged 22–68 months) with diverse language backgrounds. Parental surveys assessed language use, first language (L1) proficiency and home literacy environment. Standardized tests assessed second language (L2) proficiency. Latent profile analysis revealed three profiles: (1) more L2 use, higher L2 proficiency and higher L2 home literacy environment; (2) more L1 use, higher L1 proficiency and lower home literacy environments for both languages; and (3) more L1 use, higher proficiency in L1 and L2, and higher home literacy environments for both languages. Profiles differed in L1 distribution, maternal residency length in Norway, and maternal education. •Three profiles of language use, proficiency, and home literacy in young Norwegian bilinguals were identified.•(1): More second language use; higher second language proficiency; more second language home literacy support.•(2): More first language use; higher first language proficiency; less home literacy support for both languages.•(3): More first language use; higher first and second language proficiency;more home literacy support for both languages.•Children's first language, maternal residency length, and maternal education differed across profiles.