The Influence of First Language on Reading and Spelling in English Linda Siegel University of British Columbia Vancouver, CANADA [email protected]
Dec 24, 2015
The Influence of First Language on Reading and
Spelling in English
Linda SiegelUniversity of British Columbia
Vancouver, CANADA
Aims of the Study• Identify children at risk for
literacy difficulties
• Provide an appropriate intervention
• Assess the effectiveness of the intervention
Longitudinal Study• Screening at age 5 when
children enter school• Tested every year on
reading, spelling, arithmetic, language and memory skills
• Results at grade 7 – age 13
Longitudinal Sample• All the children in the North
Vancouver School District• 30 schools• Varying SES levels• 20% English Language Learners
(ESL)• Inclusion
• Arabic• Armenian• Bulgarian• Cantonese• Croatian• Czech• Dutch• Farsi
• Japanese• Korean• Kurdish• Mandarin• Norwegian• Polish• Punjabi• Romanian
LANGUAGES IN THE STUDY
GermanGreekHindiHungarianIndonesianItalianFinnish
RussianSerbianSlovakSpanishSwedishTagalogTamilTurkish
Conclusions
• Children’s first language has an influence on the acquisition of language and literacy skills in a second language.
• Bilingualism is an advantage in the acquisition of literacy and language skills.
Morphology
• Related to reading comprehension
• Related to spelling
• A better predictor of reading comprehension and spelling than phonological awareness or syntactic awareness
The Influence of First Language on Reading and
Spelling in English
Linda SiegelUniversity of British Columbia
Vancouver, CANADA