Findings of a vocabulary test conducted among preschool children with foreign backgrounds

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present a vocabulary test designed for children from migrant backgrounds and to discuss the results obtained. Taking into account the differences arising from diverse cultural backgrounds, the test was specifically developed for preschool-aged children who are non-native speakers of Hungarian, in order to help document their linguistic progress. The participants were children aged 3–6, all attending the member institutions of the Józsefváros Kindergartens in Budapest’s 8th district. Data collection took place in October 2024 and May 2025. 94 children participated in the initial assessment in October, while 89 took part in the follow-up assessment in May. During the test, children were required to actively name and passively identify 80 images of 10 thematic units. The results highlighted the size difference between active and passive vocabulary, the progress made over the 6 months, the role of initial vocabulary size (attitude), and the frequency (popularity) index of the words. Although the test is not validated, its development process, the data collection and the findings may provide valuable insights for other teachors working with children who need support in case of Hungarian as a foreign language.