Abstract
Despite considerable efforts made to understand the impact that instructional interventions have upon L2 reading development, we still lack a clear picture of the influence that PA and phonics instruction has upon reading in English as an L2. A search of the research literature published from 1990 to 2019 yielded 45 articles with 46 studies containing 3,841 participants in total. Effect sizes were recorded for the effect of various PA and/or phonics instructional interventions on word and pseudo word reading. Results demonstrated that L2 PA and phonics instruction has a moderate effect on L2 word reading ( g = 0.53) and a large effect on pseudo word reading ( g = 1.51). Moderator analyses revealed effects of a number of moderators including testing method, type of PA/phonics intervention, and context where the intervention occurred. Based upon these conclusions, policymakers and educators can provide beginning learners of English as an L2 with PA and phonics instruction that will enable them to read, understand and enjoy English better. Future research should also strive to adhere to more stringent standards of excellence in educational research.
Highlights
Teaching English learners phonological awareness (PA) and phonics to decode unfamiliar printed text is a foundational step in fostering English reading skills
A moderate and statistically significant mean effect size was identified for the effect of phonics instruction on L2 word reading skills: g = 0.53 (SE = 0.12), 95% CI = [0.27, 0.79], and t(35) = 4.17, p
These findings suggest that phonics instruction supports the development of word decoding ability of English learners
Summary
Teaching English learners phonological awareness (PA) and phonics to decode unfamiliar printed text is a foundational step in fostering English reading skills. PA is defined as “an awareness of sounds in spoken (not written) words that is revealed by such abilities as rhyming, matching initial consonants, and counting the number of phonemes in spoken words” Examples of classroom instructional practices that support the development of PA include having learners pay attention to the sounds of spoken language as they engage in activities such as reading poems, songs and games like “I spy” (Yopp & Yopp, 2009). Classroom instructional practices that support the development of phonics knowledge include teaching sound-letter correspondences and having students practice decoding (i.e., sound out) words (Heilman, 2002)
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