The Use of Individual Methods for Preserving and Developing Children's Speech Characteristics in American-Slavic Families
Iryna Kalmykova , Speech therapist teacher, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine / Speech therapist teacher, West Hollywood College Preparatory School, Los Angeles, USAAbstract
This article is dedicated to examining individualized methods for preserving and developing children’s speech characteristics in American–Slavic families. The growing prevalence of mixed-language households and the risk of heritage-language attrition underscore the relevance of targeted interventions. Drawing on nine recent studies, the paper analyzes four key domains: heritage-language assessment tools, shared-syntax priming, home-based socialization strategies, and school-based immersion models. Novelty lies in synthesizing clinical linguistics, psycholinguistic priming, ethnographic family practices, and policy analysis into a unified framework. Within the work, it describes Sentence‐Repetition‐Task scoring schemas, investigates structural priming data, and explores case studies of “One Parent, One Language” and lullaby‐based sessions. Particular attention is paid to how error‐type allowances and high‐frequency constructions can reinforce Slavic speech development. The study sets out to identify best practices for dual‐language vitality and to propose a hybrid model adaptable to Ukrainian and American schools. Methods include comparative analysis, source synthesis, and case‐study evaluation. In conclusion, it outlines an integrated model for assessment, curriculum, family engagement, and programme design. This article will benefit speech-language pathologists, bilingual educators, and policymakers.
Keywords
heritage language, bilingual assessment, structural priming, OPOL, , immersion programme, cross-linguistic influence, Slavic speech, scoring schema, family language policy, speech pathology
References
Byers-Heinlein, K., & Lew-Williams, C. (2013). Bilingualism in the early years: What the science says. Learning Landscapes, 7(1), 95–112. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6168212
Cycyk, L. M., De Anda, S., Moore, H., & Huerta, L. (2021). Cultural and linguistic adaptations of early language interventions: Recommendations for advancing research and practice. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(3), 1224–1246. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-20-00101
Lally, S., Banasik-Jemielniak, N., Haman, E., & Antonijević, S. (2025). Language assessment of Polish-English bilingual children by speech and language therapists who do not speak Polish: A feasibility study of a novel scoring schema for Sentence-Repetition-Tasks. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 60(2), e70005. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70005
Markowska-Manista, U., Zakrzewska-Olędzka, D., & Sawicki, K. (2020). Multilingualism in the upbringing and education of children in multinational families: Case study from Poland. KnE Social Sciences, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v4i2.6310
Muszyńska, K., Krajewski, G., Dynak, A., et al. (2025). Bilingual children reach early language milestones at the same age as monolingual peers. Journal of Child Language. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000924000655
Rose, K., Armon-Lotem, S., & Altman, C. (2023). Family language policy and vocabulary of bilingual children across different ages. Ampersand, 11, 100154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amper.2023.100154
Shevchuk-Kliuzheva, O. (2023). Growing up in a Ukrainian bilingual community: Families’ daily practices and educational environment. Cognitive Studies | Études cognitives. https://doi.org/10.11649/cs.2860
Węsierska, M., Serratrice, L., Cieplińska, V., & Messenger, K. (2025). Investigating crosslinguistic representations in Polish–English bilingual children: Evidence from structural priming. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 28(1), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728924000099
Zaytseva, N. (2022). Ukraine’s use of the positive experience of the United States in forming the content of bilingual education in secondary schools. Viae Educationis, 1(2), 17–22.
State Statistics Committee of Ukraine. (2001). Results of the 2001 Ukrainian census. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from http://2001.ukrcensus.gov.ua/eng/results/general/
Кулик, В. (2023). Мова та ідентичність в Україні на кінець 2022-го. Zbruč. https://zbruc.eu/node/114247
Rodina, Y., Bogoyavlenskaya, A., Mitrofanova, N., & Westergaard, M. (2023). Russian heritage language development in narrative contexts: Evidence from pre- and primary-school children in Norway, Germany, and the UK. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1101995. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1101995
Article Statistics
Copyright License
Copyright (c) 2025 Iryna Kalmykova

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.