The contributions of oral language to English reading outcomes among young bilingual students in the United States

2020 ◽  
pp. 136700692093813
Author(s):  
Becky H Huang ◽  
Lisa M Bedore ◽  
Luping Niu ◽  
Yangting Wang ◽  
Nicole Y Y Wicha
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Frequency Factor ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bilingual Students ◽  
Reading Outcomes ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
English Reading ◽  
Reading Frequency

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: The current study examined the language-reading relationship for bilingual students in two grade levels (grades 1 and 3) and for two reading outcomes (decoding and comprehension) to understand the contribution of oral language in English reading. The study also explored the potential mediating role of oral language between language use, reading frequency, and reading outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: The study included 60 bilingual students from bilingual households that speak a language other than, or in addition to, English. All participants completed a battery of language and reading assessments and a background survey. Data and analysis: Three separate confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to derive an Oral Language factor (from oral language assessments), a Language Use factor, and a Reading Frequency factor (from survey items). A multivariate regression was conducted to investigate whether the language-reading relationship differed by grade and reading outcome. A multivariate mediation analysis was also conducted to examine whether the Oral Language factor mediates the effect of Language Use and Reading Frequency on reading outcomes. Findings/conclusions: Oral language proficiency significantly predicted both decoding and comprehension for both grades. Oral language also mediated the relationship between reading frequency and reading outcomes. Originality: This study investigates the contributions of oral language in young bilingual students’ English reading outcomes, which is an under-explored topic. Significance/implications: The results demonstrated the importance of oral language proficiency in bilingual students’ reading outcomes. Oral language plays a robust role in not only reading comprehension but also decoding. The study also clarified that the effects of reading frequency on reading outcomes are indirect and mediated via oral language. Improving bilingual students’ oral language proficiency coupled with promoting their reading frequency can help promote their reading outcomes.

scholarly journals Reading outcomes in children with developmental language disorder: A person-centered approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 239694152097985
Author(s):  
Marja C Erisman ◽  
Elma Blom
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
Phonological Memory ◽  
Reading Outcomes ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Person Centered Approach

Background and aims Many children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) develop reading difficulties. The purpose of this study is to better understand variation in the reading outcomes of children with DLD using a person-centered approach. Method 87 monolingual Dutch children diagnosed with DLD performed at ages 5 or 6 years nine tests of nonverbal IQ, oral language proficiency, phonological memory (PM) and executive functioning (EF). Two years later, the same children were tested on single (non-)word reading. Latent profile analyses were conducted to identify profiles based on oral language proficiency, phonological memory and executive functioning at age 5–6 years, which, in turn, were related to nonverbal IQ and to single-word reading two years later. Results Four profiles were identified and labelled relative to their position within the DLD-sample: 1. Weak performance overall, 2. Strong EF-average language and PM, 3. Mild working memory (WM) deficiencies-average language and PM, 4. Strong development overall. Profiles 1 and 3 had below average nonverbal IQ scores and were associated with low word reading outcomes two years later. Conclusions Within the group of children with DLD, children with relatively weak oral language, phonological memory and executive functioning, or children with working memory deficiencies are most at risk for developing reading difficulties. The findings support a multiple risk framework and confirm that a person-centered approach is promising in predicting reading outcomes in DLD. Implications: Research into individual differences in DLD is dominated by variable-centered approaches. This study illustrates how a person-centered approach, which views variables as properties of individuals, captures variation in the DLD-population. Using this bottom-up approach, the study highlights how an individual’s strengths and weaknesses across different developmental domains can be combined into profiles that relate to later reading outcomes. As such, it can provide an example for future DLD research.

Can Virtual Replace In-person Coaching? Experimental Evidence on Teacher Professional Development and Student Learning in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus Cilliers ◽  
Brahm Fleisch ◽  
Janeli Kotzé ◽  
Nompumelelo Mohohlwane ◽  
Stephen Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Reading Proficiency ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Virtual Coaching ◽  
Negative Effect

Virtual communication holds the promise of enabling low-cost professional development at scale, but the benefits of in-person interaction might be difficult to replicate. We report on an experiment in South Africa comparing on-site with virtual coaching of public primary school teachers. After three years, on-site coaching improved students' English oral language and reading proficiency (0.31 and 0.13 SD, respectively). Virtual coaching had a smaller impact on English oral language proficiency (0.12 SD), no impact on English reading proficiency, and an unintended negative effect on home language literacy. Classroom observations show that on-site coaching improved teaching practices, and virtual coaching led to larger crowding-out of home language teaching time. Implementation and survey data suggest technology itself was not a barrier to implementation, but rather that in-person contact enabled more accountability and support.

scholarly journals Speech fluency: a result of oral language proficiency?

Linguistica ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Požgaj Hadži ◽  
Damir Horga ◽  
Tatjana Balazic Bulc
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Corpus Analysis ◽  
Articulation Rate ◽  
Speech Fluency ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency

The aim of this paper is to answer the question of the influence of language proficiency on speech fluency in relation to speakers’ other cognitive abilities by comparing the speech of research participants who speak Slovenian as L1 and Croatian as LF. By using the method of acoustic and corpus analysis, the values of speech rate, articulation rate, mean length of runs and the length and frequency of certain pauses are presented.

scholarly journals Language testing

2007 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-64
Keyword(s):  
Bilingual Education ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Code Theory ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Class Placement ◽  
Learning Focused

07–72Macken-Horarik, Mary (U Canberra, Australia), Recognizing and realizing ‘what counts’ in examination English: Perspectives from systemic functional linguistics and code theory. Functions of Language (John Benjamins) 13.1 (2006), 1–35.07–73Myklebust, Jon Olav (Volda U College, Norway; [email protected]), Class placement and competence attainment among students with special educational needs. British Journal of Special Education (Blackwell) 33.2 (2006), 76–81.07–74Pray, Lisa (Utah State U, USA), How well do commonly used language instruments measure English oral-language proficiency?Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 387–408.07–75Rea-Dickins, Pauline (U Bristol, UK; [email protected]), Currents and eddies in the discourse of assessment: A learning-focused interpretation. International Journal of Applied Linguistics (Blackwell) 16.2 (2006), 163–188.

The Role of the Speech-Language Pathologist in Whole Language

1990 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 228-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol E. Westby
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Whole Language ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Language Program ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist

Many schools are implementing whole language methodology in the teaching of reading and writing. Whole language programs assume that children have a certain degree of oral language proficiency. For language-learning disabled students, such assumptions may be incorrect. The whole language literacy movement provides an excellent opportunity for speech-language pathologists to work as an integral part of the school team seeking to build literacy. This article presents a framework for understanding the pragmatic, semantic, syntactic, text, and phonological aspects of language that underlie both oral and written communication and gives suggestions for ways speech-language pathologists can assess children's language skills that are essential for success in a whole language program.

scholarly journals The Effect of Paired Conversation Activity by Utilizing News-Based Materials in Improving the Students’ Speaking Skill

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-97
Author(s):  
Khadijah Maming ◽  
Raya Mangsi
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Good Opportunity ◽  
News Magazine ◽  
Oral Language Proficiency ◽  
Course Materials ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
Teaching Learning

The objective of this study focused on the effect of paired conversation activity by utilizing news-based materials in improving the students’ speaking skill. The students were supposed to comprehend the content of news-based materials and then explain and conclude the essential things from the news orally. It was focused on improving the students’ productive skill that is speaking skill. This research covered different topics of news taken from some resources such as; international yahoo news, BBC news, YouTube, magazine, and other mass media. In this research, the students also be expected to search and discover the course materials by themselves from internet, television etc. They discussed the topics of news-based materials with his/her pair. They started to discuss the news by using W-H questions, namely; who, what, where, why, when, and how. The lecturer has role as facilitator and consultant of the students in learning. It involved several learning activities, such as; preparing the news-based materials taken from BBC news, international yahoo news, magazine, etc, making  group in pair, reading carefully the news-based materials, discussing the essential things from the news, conclude the news orally, and presenting in front of the class. This study was experimental research design and applied quantitative method. The students of English Education Study Program of Muhammadiyah University of Parepare taken as the subject of this research. They were taught speaking course through the implementation of paired conversation activity by utilizing news-based materials. Through this treatment, it was found out that paired conversation activity by utilizing news-based materials has good effects in improving the students’ speaking skill. Besides, the students also gave positive responses toward the application of paired conversation activity by utilizing news-based material for teaching-learning EFL speaking. This technique allows the students got the good opportunity to speak at length and helps them to develop their oral language proficiency.

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