Learning to Read Across Languages

Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 Learning to Read Across Languages This book systematically examines how learning to read occurs in diverse languages, and in so doing, explores how literacy is learned in a second language by learners who have achieved at least basic reading skills in their first language. As a consequence of rapid globalization, such learners are a large and growing segment of the school population worldwide, and an increasing number of schools are challenged by learners from a wide variety of languages, and with distinct prior literacy experiences. To succeed academically these learners must develop second-language literacy skills, yet little is known about the ways in which they learn to read in their first languages, and even less about how the specific nature and level of their first- language literacy affects second-language reading development. This volume provides detailed descriptions of five typologically diverse languages and their writing systems, and offers comparisons of learning-to- read experiences in these languages. Specifically, it addresses the requisite competencies in learning to read in each of the languages, how language and writing system properties affect the way children learn to read, and the extent and ways in which literacy learning experience in one language can play a role in subsequent reading development in another. Both common and distinct aspects of literacy learning experiences across languages are identified, thus establishing a basis for determining which skills are available for transfer in second-language reading development. Learning to Read Across Languages is intended for researchers and advanced students in the areas of second-language learning, psycho- linguistics, literacy, bilingualism, and cross-linguistic issues in language Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 processing. Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 Learning to Read Across Languages Cross-Linguistic Relationships in First- and Second-Language Literacy Development Edited by Keiko Koda Annette M. Zehler Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 First published 2008 by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 Simultaneously published in the UK by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2008. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2008 by the Taylor & Francis Group All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN 0-203-93566-7 Master e-book ISBN Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 ISBN 10: 0–8058–5611–0 (hbk) ISBN 10: 0–8058–5612–9 (pbk) ISBN 10: 0–203–93566–7 (ebk) ISBN 13: 978–0–8058–5611–8 (hbk) ISBN 13: 978–0–8058–5612–5 (pbk) ISBN 13: 978–0–203–93566–8 (ebk) Contents List of figures vii Preface ix Acknowledgments xi 1 Introduction: conceptualizing reading universals, cross-linguistic variations, and second language literacy development 1 KEIKO KODA AND ANNETTE M. ZEHLER PART I Theoretical underpinnings 11 2 Learning to read: general principles and writing system variations 13 CHARLES A. PERFETTI AND SUSAN DUNLAP 3 Conceptual and methodological issues in comparing metalinguistic awareness across languages 39 LI-JEN KUO AND RICHARD C. ANDERSON 4 Impacts of prior literacy experience on second language learning to read 68 KEIKO KODA Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 vi Contents PART II Languages, writing systems and learning to read 97 Part II Introduction and glossary 97 5 Arabic literacy development and cross-linguistic effects in subsequent L2 literacy development 101 MICHAEL FENDER 6 Learning to read Chinese: cognitive consequences of cross-language and writing system differences 125 MIN WANG AND CHIN-LUNG YANG 7 Facets of metalinguistic awareness related to reading development in Hebrew: evidence from monolingual and bilingual children 154 ESTHER GEVA 8 Learning to read in Khmer 188 ANNETTE M. ZEHLER AND SALONI SAPRU 9 Literacy experience in Korean: implications for learning to read in a second language 201 EUNYOUNG CHRISTINE PARK 10 Thinking back and looking forward 222 KEIKO KODA Notes on contributors 235 Index 239 Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 List of figures 2.1 Examples of writing systems 15 2.2 Examples of different scripts in English, Chinese, and Hebrew 16 2.3 The three types of writing systems 16 2.4 Orthographic depth of various languages 18 2.5 Evolution of Chinese characters from pictographs to abstract character 21 2.6 Chinese compound character with semantic and phonetic radicals 21 Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 Preface As a consequence of rapid globalization, students with a mother tongue different from the societal language are a large and growing segment of the school population. These students must develop second language literacy skills in order to succeed academically, and often do so on the basis of at least some initial level of literacy experience in their first language. Despite the great importance of literacy development among language minority students, little is known about the ways in which these students learn to read in their first languages, and even less is known about how their prior literacy experience affects second language reading development. The primary goal of Learning to Read across Languages thus is to systematically examine successive biliteracy development, that is, literacy learning in a second language that occurs after learners have achieved at least basic reading skills in their first language. Accordingly, the volume provides detailed descriptions of five typologically diverse languages together with their writing systems, as well as comparisons of learning-to-read experiences in these languages. The volume is an expansion of a federally-funded project, Research on the Transfer of Literacy Skills from Languages with Non-Roman Script to English: Feasibility and Pilot Study (ED–01-CO–0042/0002), awarded to Development Associates, Inc. The earlier project was prompted by the U.S. Department of Education’s recognition of the need to expand scientific knowledge on how second language reading proficiency in English evolves. The research focused on learners whose first language writing systems differ substantially from that of English. The investigation centered on identifying Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 the literacy skills children develop through their first language reading experience and the implications of these skills for learning to read in English as a second language. Specifically, the project examined reading skill development and transfer in five non-Roman script languages (specified by the U.S. Department of Education): Arabic, Chinese, Khmer, Korean, and Lao. Four of the five are included in this volume with updated and expanded literature reviews. A chapter describing Hebrew language and literacy has been added, primarily because Hebrew literacy has been most extensively studied among languages employing non-Roman scripts. x Preface The volume provides descriptions of reading acquisition in these typologically diverse languages by addressing (a) the requisite competencies in learning to read in each of the five languages; (b) how language and writing system properties affect the way children learn to read; and (c) the extent and ways in which literacy learning experience in one language impacts on reading development in another. These chapters thus illustrate how language, writing system, and learning to read are interconnected. Through these analyses, moreover, the volume clarifies both common and distinct aspects of literacy learning experience across languages, and in so doing, establishes a basis for determining which skills are available for transfer in second language reading development. Downloaded by [University of Toronto] at 19:14 08 November 2014 Acknowledgments This volume is an outgrowth of the project, Research on the Transfer of Literacy Skills from Languages with Non-Roman Script to English: Feasibil- ity and Pilot Study, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition. In the project, Development Associates, Inc., in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, conducted analyses of five languages (Arabic, Chinese, Khmer, Korean and Lao), reviewed the research on the transfer for these languages, developed recommendations and a specific design for a research study, examined resources available and other feasibility issues, and conducted a pilot test for the proposed tasks and implementation plan. We wish to acknowledge the important role of our sponsor, the Office of

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