Low-Level Transfer of Reading Strategies

Birch, B. (2011). (2nd Ed.) English L2 Reading: Getting to the Bottom. New York, NY: Routledge, ch. 3

Salient Points:

There is psycholinguistic evidence for differences in L1 and L2 reading. Each writing system provide the mind with different tasks to perform, so the mind develops different strategies to work with the different input. For example, one of these strategies is reading left to right or vice-versa.

For logographic writing systems, reading is like processing pictures. Readers try to access the meaning of the word first. Reading logograms require utilizing different processes than reading alphabetic words. The same goes for reading syllabic writing systems--reading syllabic systems also utilizes different processes.

For alphabetic systems, there comes a whole new set of problems. For example, readers of consonantal alphabetic languages might rely on consonants too much with other alphabets. Readers of transparent and opaque alphabetic languages depend on phonological processes such as recoding and may have trouble with alphabetic systems opposite to their own (transparent vs. opaque systems). Readers are influenced by orthography.

In brain activation studies, it was found that Chinese readers activate the right side of the brain and left middle frontal part, which is the visual and spatial part of the brain. Chinese readers rely on semantics and syllable processing. Japanese learners use phonemic processes over phonological processes. English learners use more phonology and less meaning-based processes.

We know three things about the brain:

1. The right side and left middle frontal parts of the brain are used for visual and spatial processing.
2. The left middle frontal cortex is used for syllabic processing.
3. Te left inferior prefrontal gyrus is used for phonemic processing.

Implications:

If we acknowledge the different reading processing strategies different language learners use, we as teachers can help our students learn how to read more efficiently. We know the different parts of the brain that are used with various writing systems and we know that some languages use meaning-based processes or phonemic processes. We need to teach them the phonological processes that accompany reading in English. For example, English separates onsets and rimes. At least now we can understand why some students have a more difficult time learning English than other students. Therefore, some ELLs will need more direct instruction in these processes than others.