Language Predictors of Word Reading in Bilingual English-Arabic Children

Authors

  • Lama K. Farran Graduate Program Coordinator Communication Sciences & Disorders Department of Communication Sciences & Professional Counseling University of West Georgia Carrolton, Georgia 30118
  • Gary Bingham Early Childhood Education Georgia State University
  • Mona Matthews Early Childhood Education Georgia State University

Keywords:

Arabic, bilingual, language, reading, word reading accuracy, word reading fluency, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, vocabulary, triangle model of reading.

Abstract

Word reading fluency and word reading accuracy play a critical role in reading development (Perfetti, 1985; Stanovich, 1986) and are related to multiple language components such as phonological, morphological, and vocabulary skills in monolingual children. Our knowledge about this relation remains limited in bilingual children, however. This study investigates language predictors of word reading fluency and word reading accuracy in bilingual English-Arabic children. We conducted hierarchical regression analyses to examine the relation among phonology, morphology, vocabulary, word reading accuracy, and word reading fluency. Results revealed that Arabic language components differentially predicted Arabic word reading accuracy and Arabic word reading fluency. These findings lend support for the extended triangle model of reading (Bishop & Snowling, 2004), which highlights the paramount role of multiple components of language in reading development. Implications for research and pedagogy are presented.

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Published

02/15/2017

How to Cite

K. Farran, L., Bingham, G., & Matthews, M. (2017). Language Predictors of Word Reading in Bilingual English-Arabic Children. Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2(1), 91–116. Retrieved from https://arjals.com/ajal/article/view/109

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2017): Language Development and Impairment in Arabic-Speaking Children

Section

New Articles

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