INFLUENCE OF EARLY ENGLISH-LANGUAGE SCREEN EXPOSURE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIVE LANGUAGE IN CHILDREN

Анотація

In the contemporary digital environment, children are increasingly exposed to English- language content through television, online platforms, and mobile applications. This early exposure often occurs before the native language is fully developed, raising concerns about its potential influence on linguistic development. The  present study examines the relationship between early English-language screen exposure and the development of the native language among Albanian-speaking children in the municipality of Tetovo.

The study was conducted using a quantitative research design. A total of 56 parents participated by completing a structured questionnaire consisting of 29 items related to children’s screen use, exposure to English-language content, parental mediation, and native language development. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman correlation.

The results indicate that most children have access to digital devices and are exposed to English-language content at an average level. Differences in exposure were observed according to gender, age group, and parental education level. Female children, children aged 10–13, and children of parents with higher education levels showed higher exposure to English-language content. In contrast, male children, children aged 6–9, and children whose parents had lower education levels demonstrated stronger native language development. No statistically significant correlation was found between English-language exposure and native language development.

The findings emphasize the importance of parental mediation and balanced screen use in supporting healthy native language development in early childhood.