LANGUAGE FACTORS IN EARLY READING IN BILINGUAL CHILDREN

关于双语儿童的两种语言如何影响他们的学习，特别是他们的阅读学习，我们知之甚少。这项研究指出，越来越多的证据表明，所使用的特定语言的字母表特征会影响阅读的学习过程。此外，它还试图更好地理解双语儿童学习环境的不同语言特征，以及儿童对这两种语言的熟练程度如何影响阅读习得。目前，跨语言和双语研究表明，正字法深度、语言优势和阅读教学语言都可能独立地影响双语儿童单词识别技能的获得，并在交互作用中影响单词识别技能的获得。本研究对菲律宾两所主要使用不同语言的学校完成正式阅读教学一年级的81名双语(菲律宾、英语)男童进行了纵向评估。它建立在对这些双语学龄前儿童的初步研究基础上，该研究探索了语言因素与早期阅读前和单词识别技能的关系，试图更好地理解双语阅读。这些孩子接受了两种语言(英语和菲律宾语)的阅读测试，以及与阅读相关的认知和语言能力的测量。初步分析表明，语言优势和阅读指导语言是影响儿童早期阅读技能的重要因素。这项后续研究的重点是：1)儿童在初步习得阶段的单词再认能力的发展；2)阅读教学的拼写深度、语言优势和语言与阅读成绩的作用和关系；3)认知/语言技能和早期阅读能力对两种语言后续阅读成绩的预测价值。据预测，语言优势、教学语言以及菲律宾语(浅层)和英语(深层)正字法深度的差异将是早期阅读发展的关键预测因素。这项研究的发现有望进一步发展有关双语阅读过程的理论，并最终为双语教学提供参考。

Little is known about how the two languages of bilingual children influence their learning, particularly their learning to read. This study addresses the increasing evidence that characteristics of the written alphabets of the particular languages being used will affect the processes in learning to read. In addition, it attempts to better understand how different linguistic characteristics of a bilingual child's learning environment, and the child's facility with either language influences reading acquisition. Currently, cross- language and bilingual research suggests that orthographic depth, language dominance, and language of reading instruction may all independently, and in interaction, influence the acquisition of word recognition skills in bilingual children. This study performs a longitudinal evaluation of these factors' influence on 81 bilingual (Filipino, English) male children completing their first year of formal reading instruction in two schools in the Philippines which primarily use different languages. It builds upon an initial study of these same bilingual preschool children that explored the relationship of language factors with early pre-reading and word recognition skills in an attempt to better understand bilingual reading. The children were administered reading tests in both languages (English and Filipino), as well as measures of reading-related cognitive and linguistic abilities. Beginning analyses suggests that language dominance and language of reading instruction are important influences on these children's early reading skills in each language. The proposed follow-up study focuses upon 1) the development of word recognition skills during the children's primary acquisition phase; 2) the roles and relation of orthographic depth, language dominance, and language of reading instruction with reading achievement; and 3) the predictive value of cognitive/language skills and early reading abilities for subsequent reading achievement in both languages. It is predicted that language dominance, language of instruction, and differences in the orthographic depth of Filipino (shallow) and English (deep) will be critical predictors of early reading development. Findings from such research will hopefully further theoretical development regarding bilingual reading processes and ultimately inform bilingual education.