Learning to read and spell in English among Chinese English-as-a-second-language learners in Hong Kong

Learning to read and spell in English among Chinese English-as-a-second-language learners in Hong Kong

• Yeung, Pui Sze University of Hong Kong

2006

• C Psychology & Learning
  • CE Mental Process, Memory & Problem Solving
• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GB English Language

Language Arts Literacy Reading Instruction Developmental Psychology English Language - Orthography and Spelling - Study and Teaching - Chinese Speakers English Language - Orthography and Spelling - Study and Teaching (Preschool) - Hong Kong

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Pre-Primary Education
• Primary Education

The present study attempted to address the paucity of developmental data on English reading and spelling development among Chinese English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners. English reading and spelling development among Chinese ESL learners in Hong Kong was examined in a one-year longitudinal study covering three developmental periods: Kindergarten to Grade 1, Grade 2 to Grade 3, and Grade 4 to Grade 5. One hundred and fifty five participants were tested on three types of cognitive-linguistic measures (rapid naming, phonological processing, and visual-orthographic processing) and language proficiency measures (English reading, English spelling and Chinese reading). Three major patterns of results were identified. First, the relationships between cognitive-linguistic skills and English proficiency measures differed among Chinese ESL learners of different proficiency levels. Previous research examining the significance of visual-orthographic and phonological skills to English reading and spelling development among Hong Kong Chinese ESL learners has yielded inconsistent results. On one hand, findings in some studies among kindergarteners and Grade 1 students demonstrated the predominant role of phonological skills to English reading and spelling development (Chow, McBride-Chang, & Burgess, 2005; McBride-Chang & Ho, 2005; McBride-Chang & Kail, 2002). On the other hand, the study by Leong, Tan, Cheng and Hau (2005) among Grade 4 – 6 students showed that visual-orthographic skills were of greater significance than phonological skills in predicting English proficiency. Since the participants in these studies were from different age groups, differences in results may simply reflect differences in age or ‘stages’ of reading and spelling development among the participants. Findings in the present study did confirm this speculation: phonological skills were of particular importance to English reading and spelling development among younger participants while the significance of visual-orthographic skills only emerged among older participants. Second, only rapid naming, but not phonological awareness, contributed to English reading and spelling development among young learners (Kindergarteners, Grade 2 and Grade 3 participants). This distinctive pattern departed from the findings among native English speaking children where both rapid naming and phonological awareness were of great significance. This finding further highlighted the importance of rapid naming in reading development in contrast to that of phonological awareness. Third, visual-orthographic skills were found to play a more important role in English spelling than in English reading among the more advanced Chinese ESL learners in the present study. This contradicted Frith’s (1985) argument that "orthographic reading is the pacemaker for the development of orthographic spelling" but was actually compatible with the characteristics of the English orthography. The theoretical and pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed.

PhD

University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

• English

Dissertation Theses

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/69110011

2010-12-16