Abstract
As a consequence of globalization and migration, the number of children receiving literacy instruction in their second language (L2) is high and still increasing. Therefore, teachers need instruction methods that are effective in both L1 and L2 learners. Here, we investigate the effectiveness of a computerized training program combining phoneme perception, phonological awareness, and systematic phonics, in a sample of second-graders (N = 26) instructed in German as L2. Based on prior evidence concerning (1) literacy acquisition in L2 and (2) effects of literacy development on oral language abilities, we expected significant training effects on children’s literacy skills and vocabulary knowledge. The children of the training group worked through the program during school lessons, 20 min per day, for a period of 8 weeks. The controls continued to receive standard classroom instruction. German tests of phonological awareness, reading, spelling, and vocabulary were performed at three time points (pretest, immediate posttest, and follow-up after 9 weeks). Analyses confirmed that improvements in phonological awareness, spelling, and vocabulary between pretest and posttest were stronger in the training group when compared to the controls. For spelling and vocabulary, these effects were still significant at follow-up. Effect sizes were medium to high. For the reading measures, no group differences were found. In sum, the results yield further evidence for the effectiveness of phonics-based literacy instruction in L2 learners, and for the beneficial effects of basic literacy skills on novel word learning.
Highlights
As a result of globalization and migration, many children receive literacy instruction in their second language (L2)
We expect the intensive phonics and phonological training provided by Lautarium to foster both literacy skills and vocabulary knowledge in immigrant children with German as a second language
Potential group differences in learning gains between pretest and posttest, and between pretest and follow-up were assessed by means of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with the pretest score from the respective test included as covariate (O’Connell et al 2017; Rausch et al 2003)
Summary
As a result of globalization and migration, many children receive literacy instruction in their second language (L2). Proficiency in the language of instruction is closely related to school achievement, especially with respect to literacy skills (Prevoo et al 2016) Concerning the latter, studies consistently showed that L2 vocabulary knowledge reliably predicts reading (text) comprehension, but has a minor or no effect on word decoding and phonological awareness (Babayigit, 2015; Knell 2018; Melby-Lervag and Lervag 2014; Prevoo et al 2016). It has been argued that, during reading acquisition, increasing orthographic knowledge permanently refines phonological word representations (Muneaux and Ziegler 2004), and that lexical representations integrating semantic, phonological and orthographic knowledge are especially stable and retrieved (Perfetti and Hart 2002) Based on this evidence, we expect the intensive phonics and phonological training provided by Lautarium to foster both literacy skills and vocabulary knowledge in immigrant children with German as a second language
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