Shyness and Chinese and English Vocabulary Skills in Hong Kong Kindergartners

Research Findings: This study examined relations between parent-rated shyness and children's vocabulary skills in 54 Hong Kong Chinese kindergartners who learned English as a foreign language at school. Receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabulary were assessed both in Chinese and in English. Parent-rated shyness was uniquely associated with children's receptive vocabulary skills in both English and Chinese even after parents' education levels and socioeconomic status and children's nonverbal reasoning skill were statistically controlled. Practice or Policy: The findings suggest that shyness is associated with both first and second language learning.