Understanding literacy acquisition through immersion in foreign languages

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案是一项“自然实验”，旨在研究对比环境对神经可塑性的深刻影响。当前大多数阅读的观点认为，正音系统和正义系统的发展、参与和相互作用取决于语言的统计特性。本研究的总体目标是利用这些差异，并进行全面的神经认知调查如何学习英语阅读的复杂过程。是在阅读习得的关键时期在线上形成的。这将通过长时间和密集接触对比语言（西班牙语，SP;广东话，Cn）来实现，这些语言不同地强调这些正音系和正音语义系统。Sp和eng有相同的罗马字母表，但有一个不同的和更有规律的拼写到声音的映射，强调音韵重新编码。汉语拼音使用的是不透明的汉语形态音节书写系统，字音映射能力较弱，可能导致对正音语义过程的依赖。具体来说，我们将在五个小组中开展一项前瞻性、纵向和双向的阅读习得检查，从幼儿园（K）到二年级末，根据英语是他们的第一或第二语言进行操作（L1 vs. L2）和沉浸式语言（Sp vs. Cn vs. none）：母语为英语（L1）的新兴读者在美国开始Sp和Cn沉浸式课程，最初主要学习他们的L2在美国，说L1 Sp和Cn的人开始了相同的双向沉浸式课程，最初主要学习他们的L1（L1 Sp/L2 Eng，L1 Cn/L2 Eng），而英语单语者参加了相同的学校，但没有参加沉浸式课程（L1 Eng）。本研究的主要目的是：1）英语阅读相关加工和脑回路发展的个体差异，2)在不同的语言特性下，学习阅读Sp和Cn如何影响英语阅读发展，3）影响语际/语际影响（或迁移）的因素，以及4）这些过程如何受到早期语言环境的影响（例如，早期接触英语，Cn与Sp作为他们的L1）和神经认知能力（例如语音意识和相关的大脑回路，这是未来阅读障碍的一个重要风险因素）。最后一个探索性目标的结果将提供 对第二语言学习对有阅读障碍风险的儿童的影响有重要的初步认识，这一人群往往不鼓励学习外语。孩子们将从当地学区招募，我们有合作关系。该地区以其广泛的双向浸入式课程而闻名。这一大规模的努力将推进英语读写能力发展的神经认知过程理论，通过不同语言特性的语言“扰乱系统”，推进对多语言现象背后的神经认知过程的理解，以及少数民族学生如何学习阅读英语。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is an "experiment of nature" that examines the profound effect of contrasting environment on neuroplasticity. Most current views of reading posit that the development, involvement and interaction of ortho-phonological and ortho-semantic systems depend on the statistical properties of languages. The overarching goal of this study is to take advantage of these differences, and perform a comprehensive neurocognitive investigation of how the complex process of learning to read in English (Eng.) is shaped online during the critical period of reading acquisition. This will be achieved by prolonged and intensive exposure to contrasting languages (Spanish, SP; Cantonese, Cn) that differentially stress these ortho-phonological and ortho-semantic systems. Sp has the same Roman alphabet as Eng., but with a different and more regular spelling-to-sound mapping that emphasizes phonological recoding. Cn uses the Chinese morphosyllabic writing system that is opaque and has weak character-to-sound mapping, presumably leading to greater reliance on ortho-semantic processes. Specifically, we will launch a prospective, longitudinal, and bidirectional examination of reading acquisition from kindergarten (K) to end of 2nd grade in 5 groups that is manipulated based on Eng. being their first or second language (L1 vs. L2) and the immersed language (Sp vs. Cn vs. none): native Eng. (L1) emerging readers in the U.S. starting Sp and Cn immersion programs initially learning primarily their L2 (L1Eng/L2Sp, L1Eng/L2Cn), L1 Sp and Cn speakers in the U.S. starting the same two-way immersion programs initially learning primarily their L1 (L1Sp/L2Eng, L1Cn/L2Eng), and Eng. monolinguals attending the same schools but not in the immersion programs (L1Eng). The main aims of the study are to investigate: 1) individual differences in the development of reading-related processes and brain circuitries in Eng., 2) how learning to read in Sp and Cn influence Eng. reading development given variant linguistic properties, 3) factors that affect interlinguistic/interliteracy influence (or transfer) , and 4) how these processes are shaped by early linguistic environment (e.g. early exposure to Eng., Cn versus Sp as their L1) and neurocognitive capacities (e.g. phonological awareness and related brain circuits, a significant risk factor of future reading impairment). The findings from this last exploratory aim will provide important initial insight into the influence of second language learning on children at-risk for developing reading disabilities, a population that is often discouraged from learning a foreign language. Children will be recruited from a local school district with which we have a collaborative relationship. The district is well-known for its extensive two-way immersion programs. This large-scale effort will advance theories of the neurocognitive processes underlying literacy development in Eng. by "perturbing the system" with languages of variant linguistic properties, advance understanding of the neurocognitive processes underlying multilingualism, and how minority students learn to read Eng. in the U.S.