Cognitive processes in reading across languages

一项对12种欧洲正字法儿童学习阅读的里程碑式研究表明，不同语言的儿童在阅读习得速度上存在很大差异(Seymour等人，2003年)。研究还表明，熟练阅读背后的认知过程存在跨语言差异(见SchMalz等人，2015)。这种差异通常归因于正射深度。正字法深度指的是印刷和语音之间的透明度：例如，英语是一种不透明的正字法，因为书面单位通常有不同的发音(例如，-ough在‘Tough’，‘Thw’，‘Through.’中)。欧洲语言(以及代表它们的拼写)在其他变量上也不同，这些变量受到的关注较少。例如，单词的平均长度各不相同(参见德语单词“Kühlschank”和英语翻译为“Fridge”)。在形态复杂性上也存在差异。在形态复杂的语言中，单词通常包含提供有关其含义的信息的单位(例如，“kühl”+“Schrank”，“Cooling橱柜”)。本项目的目标如下：(1)我们将量化来自印度-欧亚语系的13个欧洲正字法中不同的变量；(2)我们将确定这些变量中哪些影响阅读习得；(3)我们将研究这些变量如何影响成年后的阅读认知过程。研究结果将提供对促进或阻碍阅读过程的语言或正字法水平变量的洞察。从长远来看，这将有助于开发有效的阅读教学和阅读障碍调解计划。

A landmark study of children learning to read in 12 European orthographies showed substantial variability, across languages, in the speed of reading acquisition (Seymour et al., 2003). Studies have also shown cross-linguistic differences in cognitive processes underlying skilled reading (summarised in Schmalz et al., 2015). Such differences are often attributed to orthographic depth. Orthographic depth refers to the transparency between print and speech: for example, English is an opaque orthography, because written units often have different pronunciations (e.g., -ough in 'tough', 'though', 'through'). European languages (and the orthographies that represent them) also differ on other variables, which have received less attention. For example, the average length of words varies (cf. the German word "Kühlschrank" and the English translation, "fridge"). There are also differences in morphological complexity. In morphologically complex languages, words often contain units which provide information about their meaning (e.g., "kühl" + "Schrank", "cooling cupboard"). To date, a comprehensive overview of these variables, and how they affect reading acquisition and cognitive processes underlying reading is missing.The aim of the current project is as follows: (1) We will quantify variables that differ across 13 European orthographies from 3 Indo-Euopean language branches,(2) We will establish which of these variables affect reading acquisition, and (3) We will study how these variables affect cognitive processes underlying reading in adulthood. The results will provide insights into language- or orthography-level variables that facilitate or impede reading processes. In the long run, this will help with developing efficient reading instruction and dyslexia mediation programmes.