Predictors of reading literacy for first and second language learners

In this study an attempt was made to construct a multi-factor model predicting the development of reading literacy in the upper grades of primary school in the Netherlands for subgroups of 729 first language (L1) learners and 93 second language (L2) learners. Following a longitudinal design, it was explored to what extent the variation in reading literacy development in L1 and L2 from grade 4 to grade 6 can be explained from children’s word decoding, language, mathematics and nonverbal reasoning skills, reading motivation and self confidence as well as their home reading resources. The results showed that L1 and L2 learners differed in reading literacy skills, language, mathematics, and reasoning skills. Structural equation modelling showed that the reading literacy development in both L1 and L2 learners could be explained from decoding, language, mathematics and reasoning skills, as well as their motivation and self-confidence. A striking difference was the fact that home reading resources had an impact on reading literacy in L1 learners but not in L2 learners.     

Conceptually based vocabulary intervention: second graders' development of vocabulary words

An instructional strategy was investigated that addressed the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students through a conceptually based sign language vocabulary intervention. A single-subject multiple-baseline design was used to determine the effects of the vocabulary intervention on word recognition, production, and comprehension. Six students took part in the 30-minute intervention over 6-8 weeks, learning 12 new vocabulary words each week by means of the three intervention components: (a) word introduction, (b) word activity (semantic mapping), and (c) practice. Results indicated that the vocabulary intervention successfully improved all students' recognition, production, and comprehension of the vocabulary words and phrases.     

Cognitive and linguistic precursors to numeracy in kindergarten: Evidence from first and second language learners

The present study investigated the role of cognitive and linguistic precursors to early numeracy skills to examine the interrelations between the development of linguistic and numeracy skills. General intelligence, working memory, phonological awareness, grammatical ability, and early numeracy skills were assessed in 75 first (mean age 6.1) and 55 second language learners (mean age 6.2). The second language learners scored lower than the first language learners on both linguistic and early numeracy tasks. However, the same precursors accounted for the variation in the early numeracy of both groups as no structural differences were found between the two groups. A more elaborate model of the acquisition of early numeracy is presented indicating that in the earlier years of childhood the acquisition of early numeracy skills is highly related to linguistic skills.     

The impact of a systematic and explicit vocabulary intervention in Spanish with Spanish-speaking English learners in first grade

This study examined the impact of a 15-min daily explicit vocabulary intervention in Spanish on expressive and receptive vocabulary knowledge and oral reading fluency in Spanish, and on language proficiency in English. Fifty Spanish-speaking English learners who received 90 min of Spanish reading instruction in an early transition model were randomly assigned to a treatment group (Vocabulary Enhanced Systematic and Explicit Teaching Routines [VE-SETR]) or a comparison group that received general vocabulary instruction using the standard reading curriculum with general strategies designed to increase the explicitness of instruction (General Systematic and Explicit Teaching Routines). Results indicated a statistically significant difference in depth of student Spanish vocabulary knowledge favoring the VE-SETR group. Differences on language proficiency in English, general vocabulary knowledge in Spanish, and oral reading fluency in Spanish were not statistically significant. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Effects of a read aloud intervention on first grade student vocabulary,listening comprehension,and language proficiency

Reading and Writing - We examine the effects of a read aloud replication intervention designed to improve the vocabulary, comprehension, and expository and narrative language outcomes of first...     

Keep it short Note-taking for learners of English as a first and second language

One of the most important and central components of any course on study skills is undoubtedly note-taking. The teaching of note-taking is closely linked to the teaching of listening, reading and writing. Materials for listening comprehension and practice in efficient reading may be used to teach note-taking while note-taking, itself, can be used as a basis for practice in written work. In addition, the teaching of note-taking involves the teaching of such grammatical features as linking, reference, substitution and omission, and thus will include considerable work on connectives, nouns, pronouns, determiners and auxiliaries. A course in note-taking, therefore, is synonymous to a large extent with a comprehensive course in English.     

Keywords and vocabulary acquisition: Some words of caution about words of assistance

Consistent results of two experiments with relatively technical, native language vocabulary, showed that effectiveness of keyword methods depended upon whether meanings of words to be learned were abstract or concrete and whether comprehension was assessed immediately or after a delay. Keywords bearing acoustical similarities to vocabulary items whose meanings were presented as sentences consistently facilitated students’ retention of the meanings of concrete items on immediate posttests. However, in contrast to recent research on foreign language vocabulary having simpler definitions, these experiments showed that it may be difficult to use the keyword method to aid long-term retention with moderately complex. abstract, native language vocabulary. Parts of this study, which was partially supported by the Kansas State University Bureau of General Research, were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, 1980.     

语境与第二语言词汇学习

语境条件与无语境条件是第二语言词汇学习中最为常见的两种学习条件。二者孰更适于词汇学习一直是研究者争论的焦点。本文拟对近年来该领域主要的研究结果做简要的梳理,并对需要深入的问题做初步的探讨。     

Contributions of print exposure to first and second grade oral language and reading in Chile

This study examines the contribution of print exposure to oral language (expressive vocabulary and listening comprehension) and reading (word reading and reading comprehension) in first and second grade in Chile, and tests whether the contribution of print exposure to reading comprehension is mediated by language and word reading skills. Two‐hundred and eighty one children (mean age 6.55 years) participated. Print exposure was measured with a book‐cover recognition task in first grade, and outcomes were measured both in first and second grade. Print exposure had direct effects on all outcomes in first grade and indirect effects in second grade. Effects on first grade reading comprehension were partially mediated by listening comprehension and word reading, but not vocabulary. We discuss the importance of the findings for improving reading comprehension in countries with low access to books.     

不同注释方式对二语附带性词汇习得影响的国外研究综述

近年来,国外关于不同的注释方式对二语附带性词汇习得的研究越来越多。但国内研究却寥寥无几。本文对国外的相关研究做了全面回顾,并发现:复合式的注释比单一的注释对附带性词汇习得的影响更大;双码理论被用来解释这一研究结果。该结果也说明在二语教学中使用复合式的注释方式解释学生阅读文本中的生词效果会更好。     

Concurrent and longitudinal neuropsychological contributors to written language expression in first and second grade students

The primary purpose of this study was to examine several key questions related to the neuropsychological contributors to early written language. First, can we develop an empirical measurement model that encompasses many of the neuropsychological components that have been deemed as important to the development of written language? Second, once derived, will the neuropsychological components of this model remain stable over first and second grades or will the model change in its composition? Third, will the strength of the relationships between neuropsychological components and writing outcomes be constant over time, or will the strength of the relationships change over time? Finally, will the derived empirical model show significant concurrent and predictive relationships with written expression? The sample included 205 first grade students recruited from a single school district who were followed into the second grade via two cohorts: Measures were aligned with major neuropsychological components as extracted from theoretical models of written expression and available empirical findings examining the neuropsychological contributors to writing in children. These domains included fine-motor speed, language, short-term memory, long-term memory, and various attention/executive functions including working memory. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) and longitudinal structural equation modeling (SEM) methods documented that three core latent traits were present and stable at both grades 1 and 2: Fine-Motor, Language, and Attention/Executive Functions. The overall model was highly related to written expression and spelling at both grades 1 and 2, with the first grade latent traits accounting for 52 and 55% of the variance in second grade written expression and spelling, respectively. At both grades, the Language and Attention/Executive Functions latent traits were more highly associated with written expression and spelling than the Fine-Motor latent trait.     

The contribution of vocabulary knowledge and spelling to the reading comprehension of adolescents who are and are not English language learners

This study examined the contributions of vocabulary and spelling to the reading comprehension of students in grades 6–10 who were and were not classified as English language learners. Results indicate that vocabulary accounted for greater between-grade differences and unique variance (ΔR ² = .11–.31) in comprehension as compared to spelling (ΔR ² = .01–.09). However, the contribution of spelling to comprehension was higher in the upper grade levels included in this cross-sectional analysis and functioned as a mediator of the impact of vocabulary knowledge at all levels. The direct effect of vocabulary was strong but lower in magnitude at each successive grade level from .58 in grade 6 to .41 in grade 10 while the indirect effect through spelling increased in magnitude at each successive grade level from .09 in grade 6 to .16 in grade 10. There were no significant differences between the language groups in the magnitude of the indirect impact, suggesting both groups of students relied more on both sources of lexical information in higher grades as compared to students in lower grades.     

汉维语禁忌语比较

本对汉维语在宗教、人名、猥亵语、数字、死亡疾病、生理器官和生理行为等方面的语言禁忌作了一些粗浅的比较，以期对汉维两个民族之间的跨化交际有一些帮助。     

中国第二语言词汇习得研究综述

第二语言(L2)词汇习得研究与语言教学、语言习得研究的发展紧密相关.历史上,语法习得研究在语言教学、语言习得中始终占据着中心地位,而词汇、语音习得研究则居于次要地位,今天基本上仍然是这种局面.然而,词汇是语言不可或缺的组成部分,语言教学不可能撇开词汇教学.词汇习得研究自然不容忽视,很多学者也逐渐认识到词汇习得的重要性,并且致力于词汇习得的研究.     

Parent involvement in early childhood: a comparison of English language learners and English first language families

This study evaluated parents’ communication, involvement and knowledge of their children’s abilities in reading and mathematics among parents who spoke English as a first language (EL1) and those who were English language learners (ELL). Forty‐two kindergarten‐aged children, their parents and their teachers participated in the study. Results indicated that EL1 parents communicated more frequently with the teacher than ELL parents. However, there were no language group differences in parents’ involvement in their children’s education (as rated by the teacher). For both groups of parents (EL1 and ELL), parents’ ratings of their children’s abilities in reading did not predict children’s reading scores. However, parents’ ratings of their children’s abilities in mathematics did predict their children’s mathematics scores. Further analyses indicated that this relationship was not mediated by parents’ communication or involvement. It is concluded that parents’ accurate knowledge of their children’s abilities in mathematics may be the result of their involvement at home and particularly for ELL parents, their greater understanding of and emphasis on mathematics learning.     

Links among segmenting,spelling, and reading words in first and second Grades

Twenty first graders and twenty second graders were examined on skills in segmenting, reading, and spelling 50 words with regular and exceptional spelling patterns. By using the same words for each task, it was possible to assess the interrelationships among these skills on a word by word, child by child basis. A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted on difference scores among segmentation, reading, and spelling. Generally, differences favored segmentation and were maximized when final sounds were deleted and minimized when medial sounds were deleted. In addition, graphical analyses showed a greater probability of correct reading and spelling given correct segmentation than incorrect segmentation. Results were interpreted to support a computational notion of phonology as a prerequisite to reading and spelling, with a more reflective notion explaining the reciprocal relation between reading and segmentation of consonant blends and medial sounds.     

第二语言习得的特性探讨 --第二语言习得和母语习得的异同

第二语言习得的特性是指这种习得不同于该语言作为母语或第一语言习得，即儿童习得自己的母语时的特殊规律性。充分认识第二语言习得的特殊规律，对发挥和培养学习者的学习兴趣和优势，使他们收到理想的学习效果都有促进作用。本文在回顾第一语言（或母语）习得理论的基础上，对母语习得和第二语言习得在以下方面作了对比：（1）动机；（2）环境（语言环境和文化环境）和方式；（3）过程（语音，词汇，句子）；（4）年龄；从而得出两种习得之间的相同点及差异，相同点反映出语言习得的普遍规律，而两种习得之间的差异正是第二语言教学中应引起注意的方面。     

输出任务类型对二语词汇附带性习得的影响

在影响二语习得的众多因素中,输出任务类型对二语词汇的习得具有一定的积极的影响。在对词汇习得的分析上,文章将影响的主要方面集中在注意、提取和记忆上,并论证探讨了三者对二语词汇附带性习得的关系。     

The role of vocabulary components in second language learners' early reading comprehension

Background

In countries with German as an official language, children with German as a second language perform overall worse in school than their German native speaking peers. This particularly affects written language skills, which require advanced language knowledge. The reasons are manifold, but one is prominent, namely poor vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary, however, consists not only of the number of known words but also of a complex and hitherto under-researched lexico-semantic framework, which is referred to as vocabulary depth.

Method

In the present study, a sample of 373 children (322 German native speakers and 51 with German as a second language) was examined longitudinally in Grade 2 and 3 for their reading comprehension and vocabulary breadth and depth. Vocabulary depth was defined as relational and semantic word knowledge. Latent change score models on vocabulary breadth and depth development including reading precursor skills, non-verbal intelligence and SES were conducted.

Results

The children with German as a second language scored lower than the native German speakers in reading and vocabulary tests, with the difference in vocabulary depth being more pronounced than in vocabulary breadth. Importantly, the differences did not tend to diminish over time, which could have been expected. The differences in reading comprehension can be accounted for mainly by the variations in vocabulary, especially in vocabulary depth.

Conclusions

These findings emphasise the importance of including not only vocabulary breadth but also vocabulary depth in the context of reading research on children who do not speak the majority language.