Introduction to the special issue of reading and writing: “Lexical representations in reading and writing”

Abstract

Human beings were not born to read or write and, for many, the process of acquiring the skills associated with this cultural invention is arduous. Our species took 2,000 years to arrive at the alphabet but individuals born into the modern world are expected to master this complex code in around 2,000 days (Wolf, 2008). Despite the difficulties associated with learning to read and write, these processes provide the foundation for higher-level cognitive skills and have allowed the species to prosper. Throughout history, interest in reading and writing has been universal and has led to many great debates, which will be familiar to this journal’s readership. For example, philosophers in ancient Greece speculated about the consequences of a transition from oral to written culture, many have argued about the interpretation of religious texts, the best way to teach literacy in schools has become a pressing concern for governments and parents, discussion of the underpinnings of dyslexia have evolved from psychoanalysis to neuroscience and we now wonder about the nature and impact of text messaging via mobile phones. While the science of reading and writing is, today, a mature area of inquiry there is continuing controversy regarding many topics. In particular, there remains a great many gaps in our understanding of lexical representations. It is valuable to reflect upon the populations being assessed, and the techniques being used, by researchers in disciplines such as Psychology, Linguistics and Speech Pathology in order to further our knowledge of lexical representations. The papers included in this special issue address questions such as: Which aspects of word learning are associated with risk of reading problems in young children? How do adult readers distinguish nouns from verbs? What are the mechanisms that allow so-called ‘lexical experts’ to excel at reading? What are the unique characteristics of story writing in adults with a history of language impairment?