Written Language & Literacy - Volume 27, Issue 1, 2024

Abstract

Research in (early) literacy development involving creoles in post-colonial contexts is scarce. Therefore, Papiamento (L1) and Dutch (L2) early literacy of 296 kindergartners in post-colonial Dutch Caribbean was assessed to determine the extent to which their L1 and L2 phonological awareness and letter knowledge correlate with each other and are related to L1 and L2 precursors (speech decoding, receptive vocabulary, rapid naming, verbal short-term memory). Higher phonological awareness and precursor scores were found for Papiamento. In Papiamento, speech decoding, vocabulary and rapid naming predicted phonological awareness; while phonological awareness along with vocabulary, rapid naming and verbal short-term memory predicted letter knowledge. In Dutch, speech decoding and vocabulary predicted phonological awareness. There was evidence of transfer from Papiamento- as the stronger language- to Dutch for both phonological awareness and letter knowledge. Results reveal an important role for the Papiamento Creole in both L1 and L2 literacy acquisition in a post-colonial language setting.

Abstract

This study investigated how single-text reading comprehension and individual differences contribute to multiple-text integration. One hundred fourteen students read sets of multiple texts on two distinct topics and completed two multiple-text integration tasks for each topic: an essay and a sentence verification task. The tasks were evaluated across three integration levels: selecting main ideas, forming generalizations, and generating deep-level inferences. The researchers conducted a series of linear regressions and hierarchical linear models separately for each integration task and integration level. The findings revealed that reading comprehension measures differentially influenced the two tasks and three integration processing levels. Additionally, individual differences — including reading strategies, interest, and vocabulary — were found to predict multiple-text integration performance. Overall, the results suggest that reading comprehension skills and individual differences uniquely predict various aspects of intertextual integration, highlighting the complex nature of how readers process and synthesize information across multiple texts.

Abstract

A well-known Turkish saying states that “Turkish is written the way it is read and it is read the way it is written”; however, not many investigations have been completed to test this assumption. The current study aims to question the transparency of Turkish orthography with two measures. Firstly, a word-initial entropy analysis is carried out. Then secondly, the ratio of transparent words among the most frequently occurring words in children- and adult-oriented written texts is investigated. The results indicate that Turkish is quite transparent word-initially, but when the whole words are considered, its transparency decreases. Only about 75 to 81% of the most frequently used words in written texts are transparent. This demonstrates that Turkish orthography, while still highly transparent, might not be as transparent as previously assumed.

Abstract

Spelling words containing phonologically and orthographically irregular letters presents a significant challenge for young writers. This study investigates the impact of spelling-to-sound regularity and different types of frequency on the spelling of Hebrew verbs with the root letter Aleph א. Aleph functions both as a consonant and a vowel, offering a unique lens through which to explore the influence of regularity and irregularity on the process of Hebrew spelling acquisition. Participants included 133 Hebrew-speaking children (grades 3, 5, 8, and 11) and college students, who completed two verb dictation tasks. In each task, half of the items featured Aleph as a consonantal root letter (representing a glottal stop), and the other half featured Aleph as a vowel. The first task varied in word frequency, while the second varied in root frequency. The results indicate that the acquisition of Aleph spelling develops gradually, with full mastery occurring by 11th grade. Notably, Aleph as a consonant is learned more quickly than as a vowel. Word frequency influences spelling accuracy across all age groups, particularly when Aleph represents a vowel. Root frequency affects the spelling of Aleph as a vowel at all ages, whereas its impact on consonantal Aleph is limited to younger age groups (up to grade 8). These findings underscore the critical role of both phonological and orthographic irregularity in spelling development. The study highlights the importance of addressing the intersection of phonology, morphology, and orthography in language instruction, as this approach can help identify irregularities and enhance spelling acquisition.

This article reviews Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution That Made China Modern978-07352-1472-9