Effect of Cognitive Variables on the Reading Ability of Spanish Children at Age Seven

The objective of this study is to determine the contribution made by knowledge of letters, phonological awareness, phonological memory, and alphanumeric and non-alphanumeric rapid automatized naming at the ages of six and seven to the ability of Spanish children to read words at 7 years of age. A total of 116 Spanish-speaking school children took part in the study, from schools located in an average socio-cultural setting, without special educational needs. The reading ability of these pupils was evaluated at the age of seven, and cognitive variables were assessed at 6 and 7 years of age. Descriptive-exploratory analyses, bivariate analyses, and multivariate regressions were performed. The results show that cognitive variables measured at these ages contribute differently to the ability to read words at 7 years of age. Rapid naming does not seem to influence word reading; knowledge of letters no longer influences word reading as children grow older; and phonological awareness and phonological memory maintain their contribution to the explanation of word reading. These results indicate that reading in Spanish depends on different cognitive variables and that this relationship varies according to age. The findings have key educational implications in terms of teaching reading skills and the prevention of specific learning difficulties in Spanish Primary Education.

Stress assignment in reading aloud in Spanish

Correct stress assignment is a requirement for fluent reading in alphabetic languages. This study focuses on two nonlexical mechanisms at the core of stress assignment. In particular, the use of a default stress pattern (e.g., penultimate stress) and the Spanish stress mark. In Experiment 1, participants read aloud words and pseudowords with different stress types (on the antepenultimate or the penultimate syllable), and with or without a stress mark. Results showed longer reaction times (RTs) for words and pseudowords with antepenultimate stress. However, as words with antepenultimate stress always have a stress mark, it could be argued that stress type differences could be due to the presence of the stress mark. In Experiment 2, using a priming procedure participants read aloud words and pseudowords in pure versus mixed stress blocks. Again, words and pseudowords with antepenultimate stress were read slower (longer RTs), suggesting that previous differences were due to stress mark rather than stress type. These results indicate that processing stress marks is cognitively demanding when reading in Spanish.

Perspectivas metodológicas sobre a hibridização genérica como meio de aproximação à leitura em E/LE

<p>Neste artigo, tratar-se-á de discutir questões relacionadas à hibridização genérica como meio de aproximação à leitura em espanhol como língua estrangeira – E/LE. Darão suporte a esta proposta, os estudos de Vigotsky (2001), Marcuschi (2008), Genette (2010), Adam e Heideman (2011), Sánchez Miguel, García Pérez e Rosales Pardo (2012) e Lazarini (2013). Escolheram-se os gêneros textual-discursivos do universo de referência dos alunos que captassem outros gêneros, previamente apresentados ou não, mas de fácil reconhecimento, já que são facilmente encontrados e reconhecíveis em Língua Materna. A ideia foi a de expor os alunos a gêneros de fácil reconhecimento em um primeiro momento, os presentes no próprio manual, para depois expô-los a gêneros mais complexos ou elaborados. A atividade proposta refere-se à hibridização do tipo propaganda-carta-quadrinhos, a partir de um único texto. É importante esclarecer que, no caso da carta, há marcadores genéricos pertencentes a este gênero e, no caso dos quadrinhos, este aparece em sua totalidade, servindo de andaime para a propaganda, alvo principal, devido à manutenção de seu propósito comunicativo. No que concerne ao emprego das estratégias de leitura, verificou-se que o texto permitiu aos alunos ativarem uma ampla gama de estratégias, aquelas que atuaram para uma compreensão dos componentes locais, aquelas que atuaram para a compreensão de componentes globais, o uso de predição de inferências e uma alta capacidade de apreciação e réplica em relação ao texto. Percebeu-se que a abordagem proposta pode ser mais dinâmica e acarretar o desenvolvimento de níveis profundos e crítico-reflexivos. </p><p>In this article, issues related to genre hybridization as a means of approach to reading in Spanish as a Foreign Language (S/FL) will be discussed. The studies accomplished by Vigotsky (2001), Marcuschi (2008), Genette (2010), Adam and Heideman (2011), Sánchez Miguel, García Pérez and Rosales Pardo (2012) and Lazarini (2013) will support this proposal. The textual-discursive genres chosen were part of the students’ background knowledge, as well as other genres which were previously presented or not, but easily recognized, since they are easily found in their mother tongue. The idea was exposing students to genres of easy recognition in a first moment, the ones in the manual itself, and later exposing them to more complex or elaborated genres. The proposed activity refers to hybridization of the advertisement-letter-comics type using a single text. It is important to clarify that, when it comes to the letter, there are their genre markers, and when it comes to comics, this one appears in its totality, serving as a support to the advertisement, which is its main target due to the maintenance of its communicative purpose. Regarding the use of reading strategies, it was possible to verify that the text enabled students to activate a wide range of strategies, those which acted towards a comprehension of the local components, the ones that acted to the comprehension of global components, the use of prediction of inferences and a high capacity of appreciation and reply with relation to the text. It was possible to observe that the proposed approach can be more dynamic and entail the development of deep, critical and reflexive levels.</p>