The effects of referential continuity on novel word learning in bilingual and monolingual preschoolers

Previous research suggests that monolingual children learn words more readily in contexts with referential continuity (i.e., repeated labeling of the same referent) than in contexts with referential discontinuity (i.e., referent switches). Here, we extended this work, testing monolingual and bilingual (N = 64) 3- and 4-year-olds’ novel word learning in an interactive tablet-based task. We predicted that bilinguals’ experience with language switches would buffer them against the attested challenges of referent switches on word learning. Unexpectedly, we found that monolinguals and bilinguals readily learned words in contexts of both referential continuity and referential discontinuity, and if anything performance was better in the referential discontinuity context. Overall, these results indicate that, at least for some learners under some conditions, referential discontinuity does not disrupt word learning. Our findings invite future research into understanding how and when referential continuity impacts language acquisition.