Problems Arabs readers have with word recognition in English

Problems Arabs readers have Problems Arabs readers have with word recognition in with word recognition in

English English

Dr Mick RandallDr Mick Randall

Email: mick.randall @ gmail.com

A cognitive contrastive analysis of A cognitive contrastive analysis of English and Arab writing systems and English and Arab writing systems and

their implications for reading and their implications for reading and writing in Englishwriting in English

Why word recognition?Why word recognition?

Basic building block of readingBasic building block of reading First language speakers can First language speakers can

recognise words extremely rapidlyrecognise words extremely rapidly Context less important in internet Context less important in internet

literacyliteracy

AgendaAgenda Look at the theories underpinning word Look at the theories underpinning word

recognition in Englishrecognition in English Raise the question of the relevance of Raise the question of the relevance of

these theories to other languages these theories to other languages Raise the issue of the possible effects of Raise the issue of the possible effects of

Arabic recognition processes on English Arabic recognition processes on English word recognition word recognition

Examine the way that Arabic differs from Examine the way that Arabic differs from English and the problems this may have English and the problems this may have for Arab readers of Englishfor Arab readers of English

Discuss what this research suggests about Discuss what this research suggests about teaching Arab studentsteaching Arab students

How did you learn to readHow did you learn to reada) in Arabic b) in English/French?a) in Arabic b) in English/French?

PhonicsPhonics

Look and SayLook and Say

‘‘Real’ books Real’ books

2 Macro theoretical models2 Macro theoretical models

Top DownTop Down

VsVs

Bottom upBottom up

Uses knowledge of Uses knowledge of world to interpret world to interpret messagemessage

Uses knowledge of Uses knowledge of print to decode the print to decode the messagemessage

Principles of word recognitionPrinciples of word recognition

Decoding (bottom up)Decoding (bottom up)

Route 1Route 1• Phonological assembly (non-lexcial route)Phonological assembly (non-lexcial route)

c + a + t = /k&t/ =


Decoding (bottom Decoding (bottom up)up)

Route 2Route 2

• Visual pictures Visual pictures ‘logogens’ (lexical ‘logogens’ (lexical route)route)

cat =


Prediction (top down)Prediction (top down)• ‘‘Reading as a psychological guessing Reading as a psychological guessing

game’, Goodmangame’, Goodman

The dog chased the *** =The dog chased the *** =


Prediction and confirmation (top Prediction and confirmation (top down)down)

The dog chased the cat =The dog chased the cat =

confirm

Evidence for these routes comes Evidence for these routes comes from:from:

Neurolinguistics, e.g. aphasiasNeurolinguistics, e.g. aphasias

Cognitive psychological experimentsCognitive psychological experiments

Dual Route Theory,

Coulthard

Phonic decoding revisitedPhonic decoding revisited

The original phonic process was seen as a The original phonic process was seen as a simple serial process c + a + tsimple serial process c + a + t

However, this leads to all sorts of However, this leads to all sorts of problems: c + a + t + c + h =???problems: c + a + t + c + h =???

New thinking suggests that words seen asNew thinking suggests that words seen as

ONSET

C

+

RHYME (RIME)

atch

Other effects: Letter saliency Other effects: Letter saliency

CRETAIONCRETAION

VAIATIONVAIATION

INVASINO INVASINO

SALIENCY EFFECTS IN ENGLISHSALIENCY EFFECTS IN ENGLISH

1.1. Initial lettersInitial letters

2.2. Final lettersFinal letters

3.3. Middle lettersMiddle letters

Is this the same for Arab readers?Is this the same for Arab readers?

Array scanningArray scanning

AA


CCAAMQGMQG


AAPGNCPGNC


BHKLBHKLAA

Array scanning with English Array scanning with English subjectssubjects

10001100120013001400150016001700180019002000

1 2 3 4 5

letter positionre

actio

n tim

e

Series1

Series2

Letters & digitsShapes

10001100120013001400150016001700180019002000

1 2 3 4 5

shape position

reac

tion

time

Series1

Series2

Array scanning with Arab subjectsArray scanning with Arab subjects

10001100120013001400150016001700180019002000

1 2 3 4 5

Array position

Re

ac

tio

n T

ime

Series1

Series2

letters (Arabic & Roman), digits & shapes

Questions:Questions:

To what extent can models developed for To what extent can models developed for English be extended to other languages English be extended to other languages such as Arabic?such as Arabic?

To what extent does the dual route theory To what extent does the dual route theory extend to other writing systems, in extend to other writing systems, in particular Arabic? particular Arabic?

Is the dual route theory a response to the Is the dual route theory a response to the difficulties of English spelling?difficulties of English spelling?

Can English be read in other ways?Can English be read in other ways? Do reading processes transfer from one Do reading processes transfer from one

language to another?language to another?

Arabic/English differences and their Arabic/English differences and their likely effects on word recognitionlikely effects on word recognition

Spoken Arabic has a regular CVCV Spoken Arabic has a regular CVCV syllable structure with no clusters syllable structure with no clusters and thus may be read ‘syllabically’ and thus may be read ‘syllabically’ as CV + CV + CVas CV + CV + CV• Arab readers of English will have Arab readers of English will have

difficulty with the syllable structure of difficulty with the syllable structure of English with its high use of clusters: English with its high use of clusters: sprains /sprains /sprspreIeInz/nz/ (CCCvCC) (CCCvCC)

• Arab readers will therefore not ‘see’ Arab readers will therefore not ‘see’ whole syllables and wordswhole syllables and words


Arabic has highly regular grapheme to Arabic has highly regular grapheme to phoneme correspondences, it is phoneme correspondences, it is highly regular and ‘transparent’.highly regular and ‘transparent’.• This, combined with the CVCV structure This, combined with the CVCV structure

of spoken Arabic, tends to lead to a of spoken Arabic, tends to lead to a heavily phonic L1 literacy training:heavily phonic L1 literacy training:

سكن + + = ن ك سكن + + = س ن ك /sa/ + /ka/ + /na/= /sa/ + /ka/ + /na/ = س• Will Arab readers be sensitive to the Will Arab readers be sensitive to the

ONSET + RIME structure of English or to ONSET + RIME structure of English or to whole word recognition routes?whole word recognition routes?


In ‘consonantal’ languages such as Arabic In ‘consonantal’ languages such as Arabic which do not mark vowels in normal which do not mark vowels in normal reading texts putting a word into sounds reading texts putting a word into sounds may be a may be a mandatorymandatory process process• has 3 different realisations and 3 different has 3 different realisations and 3 different سكنسكن

meanings depending on the contextmeanings depending on the context• Observation of readers and Arab colleagues Observation of readers and Arab colleagues

attest to the importance of ‘reading aloud’ or attest to the importance of ‘reading aloud’ or at least subvocalisation as an important at least subvocalisation as an important reading techniquereading technique


As normal Arabic script does not mark As normal Arabic script does not mark vowels readers will not pay attention to vowels readers will not pay attention to the vowels in Englishthe vowels in English• English has a much more complicated vowel English has a much more complicated vowel

system than Spoken Arabic system than Spoken Arabic • Readers have no experience of the vowel Readers have no experience of the vowel

letters being important. They will expect most letters being important. They will expect most letters to be consonants (s k n) and thus words letters to be consonants (s k n) and thus words like sicken and sacking in English may be like sicken and sacking in English may be difficult to process.difficult to process.


Arabic has an extremely regular Arabic has an extremely regular morphological structuremorphological structure• Arabic consists of a relatively small Arabic consists of a relatively small

inventory of 3 letter roots and generates inventory of 3 letter roots and generates large numbers of words from these roots large numbers of words from these roots by extremely regular transformations by extremely regular transformations e.g. e.g. سكنسكن generates about 20 related generates about 20 related head wordshead words

• English has more ‘word families’ but less English has more ‘word families’ but less words in eachwords in each

So, what about Arabic students So, what about Arabic students reading English?reading English?

There has been considerable There has been considerable research into users of other non-research into users of other non-Roman scripts such as Chinese Roman scripts such as Chinese

We need research into this area to We need research into this area to determine the difficulties faced by determine the difficulties faced by Arab readers of EnglishArab readers of English

One way of investigating this One way of investigating this problems is to examine word problems is to examine word knowledge through spellingknowledge through spelling

Context Processor

Meaning Processor

Spelling Processor

SoundProcessor

Reading Writing Speech

Why spelling?

Some examples from dictation 1Some examples from dictation 1

TARGETTARGET BETTERBETTER BITBIT CROWDCROWD

BRINGBRING

GIRLGIRL

SPELLINGSPELLING BATTERBATTER BETT, BET, BATBETT, BET, BAT CRAED, CROWED,CRAED, CROWED,

CRROUD, CROWDECRROUD, CROWDE BRIENG, PRING, BRIENG, PRING,

BERINGBERING GIRALGIRAL

Some examples from dictation 2Some examples from dictation 2

TARGETTARGET CAUGHTCAUGHT

SPELLINGSPELLING CUAT, COUGHT, CUAT, COUGHT,

COUTCH, COOT, COUTCH, COOT, COUGH, COUGHT, COUGH, COUGHT, COTCH, COTE, COTCH, COTE, COT, KOT, CATHECOT, KOT, CATHE

Free writing - Free writing - Ways of spelling Ways of spelling ‘friend’ (BALC)‘friend’ (BALC)

frind(s) [68]frind(s) [68] frinde(s) [14]frinde(s) [14] freneds [1]freneds [1]

frend(s) [40] frend(s) [40] freand(s) [9]freand(s) [9] frenids [1]frenids [1]

frand(s) [21]frand(s) [21] farend [5]farend [5] frieand [1]frieand [1]

fraind(s) [20]fraind(s) [20] frandes [3]frandes [3] frien [1]frien [1]

firend [16]firend [16] franed [3]franed [3] frienb [1]frienb [1]

frined [14]frined [14] freined [1]freined [1] frnedd [1]frnedd [1]

What does this mean?What does this mean? Understanding of spelling is important both for Understanding of spelling is important both for

writing AND readingwriting AND reading It is important that students pick up automatic It is important that students pick up automatic

word recognition skills word recognition skills We should pay more attention to bottom-up, We should pay more attention to bottom-up,

coding strategies in our teachingcoding strategies in our teaching We must present words to them to show them We must present words to them to show them

the important aspects of English spelling the important aspects of English spelling (noticing)(noticing)

These should be based on the differences These should be based on the differences between Arabic and Englishbetween Arabic and English

We need research into the sounds and spellings We need research into the sounds and spellings that students have difficulty with that students have difficulty with

Methodological implications 1Methodological implications 1

Need to focus learners’ attention on Need to focus learners’ attention on salient aspects leads to more form-salient aspects leads to more form-focused work as well as meaning-focused work as well as meaning-focused work e.g.focused work e.g.

1.1. ListeningListening should include should include phoneme recognition tasks such as phoneme recognition tasks such as

minimal pairsminimal pairs dictation of both of individual words as well dictation of both of individual words as well

as key words in contextas key words in context

Methodological implications 2Methodological implications 2

2.2. ReadingReading should include: should include:• Word recognition exercises with words Word recognition exercises with words

exemplifying orthographic featuresexemplifying orthographic features• Words extracted from texts on Words extracted from texts on

orthographic criteriaorthographic criteria

3.3. Writing Writing should include:should include:• Spelling and testing individual wordsSpelling and testing individual words• Dictation Dictation

Curriculum implicationsCurriculum implications

Specify the orthographic features Specify the orthographic features students should be familiar with students should be familiar with through:through:• Specifying vocabulary which Specifying vocabulary which

demonstrates these featuresdemonstrates these features• Assessment of student knowledge of Assessment of student knowledge of

core vocabulary core vocabulary

Training implicationsTraining implications

Emphasis should be placed on Emphasis should be placed on training teachers in cognitive training teachers in cognitive contrastive features:contrastive features:• Phonology should be related to specific Phonology should be related to specific

Arabic/English problemsArabic/English problems• Phoneme discriminationPhoneme discrimination• Orthographic features as they relate to Orthographic features as they relate to

phonologyphonology

THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR LISTENINGLISTENING

Any questions/ Any questions/ observations?observations?

BALC (the BUiD Arabic Learner Corpus) is available at:

http://www.buid.ac.ae/buid/page.php?id=1004&pageId=972

It is available for researchers to work with. If you want any further

information, you can contact me at:[email protected]

Problems Arabs readers have with word recognition in English

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