This study examined a relationship between self-esteem and bilingual proficiency in young children learning two languages sequentially in a subtractive bilingual context. Hmong children (N = 51) between the ages of 6 and 12 years old participated in this study. The children's bilingual proficiency was measured using the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary test in English and Hmong separately. The Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventories, 3rd Edition (CFSEI-3) was administered to measure children's self-esteem. Partial correlations were conducted to investigate a relationship between self-esteem and bilingual proficiency after controlling the effects of ages. Results indicated a significant subtractive bilingualism pattern among Hmong children, r(51) = -.44, p = .001. However, the data analysis results revealed neither relationships between English proficiency, r(51) = .13, p = .36, and self esteem nor relationships between Hmong proficiency and self-esteem, r(51) = -.10, p = .49.

The study results suggest that the CFSEI-3 might be insensitive to culture differences on the construct of self and self-esteem for children from the collectivistic cultural background. Further research is required to examine the relationship between self-esteem and bilingual proficiency, with a properly designed self-esteem measurement, for minority language children living in a subtractive context.