Metalinguistic Transfer in Biliteracy Instruction: Theory, Research

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Metalinguistic Transfer in Biliteracy
Instruction Theory, Research Effective
Practice

• Jill Kerper Mora, Ed.D.
• San Diego State University
• http//coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora

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Foundational Structure of Literacy Instruction
Effective Practice
Theory
Research
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What the research really says

• It takes 5-7 years for ELL to reach full
  proficiency in academic English.
• Phonemic awareness (PA) phonics instruction
  does not lead automatically to on-grade-level
  reading comprehension.
• Print awareness is a more reliable predictor of
  reading achievement than PA in emergent readers.
• ELL are advantaged when they read write in L1
  on measures of English achievement.

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What policymakers claim the research says

• 1-3 years if ESL/ELD instruction is sufficient to
  mainstream ELL.
• Intensive phonics instruction leads to
  on-grade-level reading by 3rd grade.
• Testing students in PA phonics (letter naming,
  nonsense words, decoding, fluency) identifies
  students in need of intervention.
• ELL are inhibited in their English L2/literacy
  learning by L1 literacy instruction.

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Bilingual/Biliteracy Teachers Dilemma

• Pressure to teach English phonics prematurely or
  to deemphasize cross-linguistic transfer
• Limited time inadequate or poor quality
  materials for developing Spanish oral language
  literacy
• Scripted programs that dont fit the demographic
  linguistic characteristics needs of their
  students
• Low test scores despite students progress

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The Reading First Five Components Model

• Reading First defines effective reading
  instruction as having 5 components phonemic
  awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency
  comprehension. These are also called the 5
  domains, dimensions, elements, pillars or
  building blocks.
• The National Reading Panels (2000) categories
  for reviewing research studies have been
  transformed into a de facto model of reading
  instruction that is driving program development,
  teacher professional development, instructional
  practices program/policy evaluation.
• The NRPs research findings do not provide a
  theoretical framework for understanding how these
  5 components are inter-related, subordinated,
  interdependent or proportional to one another.

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A Meta-Model of Biliteracy Instruction
Reading Comprehension
L1/L2 Language Competencies
Knowledge of the World
Instruction
Explicit Direct Systematic Structured
Scaffolded Facilitated Applied Practiced
Telling
Discovery
Metalinguistic Knowledge (How Language
Works) Phonology Morphology Syntax
Grammar Orthography Semantics Lexicon
Metacognitive Knowledge (How Thinking
Works) Communicative Functions/Pragmatics Monitor
ing Repair Strategies Text Structure Patterns
of Exposition Conceptual Cultural
Knowledge Adjusting for Reading
Purpose/Task Literary Genre Analysis
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Transfer Facilitation Model (Koda, 2008)

• Children form sensitivity to the regularities of
  spoken language as they develop oral language
  skills.
• All writing systems are structured to capture
  represent these regularities in language.
  Learning to read involves mapping spoken language
  elements onto written symbols of the language of
  the text.
• Metalinguistic awareness enables learners to
  analyze spoken words into their constituent parts
  so that they can decode written text. This
  process becomes more explicit through cumulative
  experiences with print.
• The result is increased awareness of the specific
  ways in which regularities of language are
  represented in the writing system how written
  language varies systematically in the two
  languages the students are learning to read.

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Metalinguistic Awareness

• MA is the ability to talk about think about
  language as an abstract thing or process to
  analyze how language is used systematically to
  express meaning.
• MA has various components or processes that
  reflect the complexities, dimensions forms of
  language phonology, morphology, syntax
  grammar, semantics lexicon.
• In bilingual learners, MA entails the ability to
  compare contrast two language systems to
  discover commonalities differences.
• Bilingualism enhances metalinguistic awareness
  because of the juxtapositioning of two language
  systems. Growth in metalinguistic knowledge in L1
  contributes to L2 language literacy learning.

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How Metalinguistic Knowledge is Acquired

• 1. Implicit unarticulated awareness is present
  in L1 developing in L2.
• 2. Awareness is made explicit through structured
  experiences direct teaching, as well as
  discovery experiences with discussions of
  students insights understandings
• 3. Which lead to explicit articulated knowledge
  of language forms functions
• 4. Resulting in increased self-regulatory control
  enhanced language use performance in a
  variety of increasingly cognitively-demanding
  literacy task.

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Stages of Metalinguistic Learning(Bialystok
Bouchard, 1985)

• Realizing that print conveys meaning in much the
  same way as speech
• Attending to printed features (e.g. letters,
  letter combinations, spaces between words,
  capitalization, punctuation) of linguistic
  elements interpreting them
• Incorporating attention to forms with the goal of
  extracting meaning.

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Metalinguistic Transfer (MT) in
Bilingual/Biliteracy Learning

• MT is the application of particular
  metalinguistic awareness knowledge in L1 to
  language learning literacy achievement in L2
  English.
• Knowledge skills that transfer across languages
  include phonemic awareness phonological
  processes, knowledge of phoneme-grapheme
  relationships in the L1/L2 orthographic systems
  recognition of syntactic features of both
  languages.
• Some reading strategies are common to both
  languages, while others are specific to the
  phonetic graphic systems of L1 or L2. Explicit
  instruction in these features is productive.

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Phonics in Biliteracy Classrooms

• Spanish L1 Phonics

• English L2 Phonics

• Syllabic awareness develops before phonemic
  awareness (PA) since syllables are
  defined-boundary rhythmic sound units.
• PA involves attention to syllabic stress patterns
  that alter meaning.
• Spelling patterns within syllables (syllabic
  context) such as with letters c and g determine
  letter-sound correspondence.

• There is greater consistency in English spelling
  in larger-than-phoneme units.
• Onset rhyme segmentation abilities are
  precursors to learning analogical decoding
  concepts.
• English has many monosyllabic words with
  1-phoneme differences.
• Open vs. closed syllables determine vowel sounds
  in multisyllabic words.

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Phoneme to Grapheme Relationships
One-to-many relations
a
/1/
b
Many-to-one relations
/1/
a
/2/
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Spanish Phonics

• Phonemic awareness
• Letter-sound correspondences
• Spelling patterns
• Syllabification
• Diphthongs and syllable juncture
• Categorization of words according to stressed
  syllable
• Rules for the use of written accent marks

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English Phonics

• Consonants and vowels
• Consonant blends and digraphs
• Long and short vowels
• R-controlled vowels
• Vowel digraphs
• Diphthongs
• Homophones homographs

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The Spanish Alphabet

• 29 letters spell 24 phonemes
• Highly regular and rule governed, with a few
  letras difíciles that have multiple
  phoneme-graphic correspondences
• There are no double letters ch, ll, rr
  represent a single phoneme. The ñ comes from the
  Latin nn.
• H is silent and u is silent after g unless it
  carries a diérisis (bilingüe, pingüino) and
  after q (queso)

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Spanish Phonemes Spelled Using Multiple Graphemes

• Vowel phoneme i is written as i and as y (i
  griega) in diphthongs ending a word (soy, muy)
• Labiodental /b/ is written as either b or v
  (haba, ave)
• /k/ is written as c before a, o, u, or as k or as
  qu (casa, kiosco, queso)
• /s/ is written as c before e, i or as s or as z
  (cerro, silla, zorro)
• /h/ is written as g before e, i or as j (gigante,
  jinete) and as x (México, Don Quixote)
• /y/ is written as ie, ll or y (hielo, lleno,
  yodo)

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Spanish Graphemes That Spell Multiple Phonemes

• The letter b spells the bilabial b as in burro
  and the labiodental b as in arriba
• The letter c spells /k/ as in casa and /s/ as in
  cita.
• The letter g spells /g/ as in gallo and /h/ as in
  general
• The letter y spells the vowel sound i at the end
  of words as in soy and the consonant sound y as
  in yegua

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Spanish in Spain and Latin AmericaX, Y, Z and
Thee

• The x has respresents a number of phonemes /h/,
  /x/ and in Mexico /sh/ for words from Náhuatl and
  Otomí.
• In Latin America, the ll and y in initial
  position are pronounced the same (llama, yerno)
• In Spain, the z before a, o u represents a soft
  /th/ sound. This sound is also spelled ce ci.
  Words ending in z change to c when forming the
  plural (pez-peces lápiz-lápices)

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Spanish Spelling Patterns
 
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Las Dificultades de la Ortografía en Español

• Letras difíciles (c, s, z b, v g, j r, rr ie,
  ll, y el uso del diéresis sobre la u)
• Las letras mudas (H/h u después de g, q)
• Combinaciones de consonantes conjuntas y
  separadas (con l, con r mb de bombero, mp de
  campesino, nv de inventor, nf de enfermera)
• El acento escrito
• Uso de letras mayúsculas

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English Demons for Spanish Speakers(Thonis,
1983)

• All the short vowels-hat, bed, hit, top, up
• The sh of shoes, mission, nation, ocean, chef,
  special, sugar (One sound with 6 different
  spellings!)
• The th of this the th of thank
• The j of jello, edge
• The z of zero, has
• The v of voice, very

• The r-controlled vowels-especially the one sound
  (ir, er, ur)
• The zh of measure, mirage
• The d of day, ladder, bad
• The h of home, house, hare

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English Syllable Patterns

• Closed Short vowel ending with consonant
• Open Long vowel, no consonant ending
• Vowel Digraph vowel spelled with 2 letters
• C-le at the ends of words
• R-controlled vowel
• Vowel-consonant-e long vowel pattern
• Idiosyncratic

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Orthographic Transfer in S/E Biliteracy(Mora,
2001)

• In developing biliteracy skills, bilingual
  learners apply Spanish spellings to English words
  bilingual readers
• Use Spanish spelling approximations for English
  phonemes that do not exist in Spanish.
• Collapse English vowels into Spanish vowels,
  diphthongs or consonant blends.
• Hear English phonemes but not know the English
  spelling patterns, such as vowel and consonant
  digraphs or silent letters.

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Spanish Syllable Patterns

• A single consonant occurring between vowels is
  joined to the vowel or vowels that follow.
• Two separate consonants between vowels are
  divided.
• A strong vowel (a,e,o) combined in a syllable
  with a weak vowel (i, u) forming a diphthong or
  triphthong are not separated.
• Consonant blends (consonant with l or r) are not
  separated
• When s is in a prefix, it forms a syllable with
  the prefix

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Spanish Structural Analysis

• Word derivations roots, prefixes and suffixes
• Inflection and agreement (subject-verb,
  adjectives, possessives)
• Enclisis (combining two classes of words)
• Contractions (conjunción) shortened forms of
  words (apócope)
• Compound words
• Cognates

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Types of Morphological Units(Birch, 2007)

• Inflectional Morphemes

• Derivational Morphemes

• Dont usually change the words part of speech
• Are usually suffixes.
• Are mechanical--They dont result in a new
  different word but a different form of same word.
• The change in meaning is a predictable
  grammatical detail.
• EX plurals, possessives, verb endings,
  adjectives, adverbs

• Result in a change in the words part of speech
  compared to the base they are added to.
• Can be either prefix or suffix.
• Make a substantial sometimes unpredictable
  change in meaning.
• Are creative result in a new different word.
• EX care, careless, carelessness

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Word Derivations
immigrate
migration
immigration
migrate
immigrant
migr-move
migratory
emigrate
migrancy
emigrant
emigration
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Derivaciones de unaPalabra Raíz
inmigrar
migración
inmigración
migrante
inmigrante
migr-mover
migratorio
emigrar
La Migra
emigrante
emigratoria
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Word Study In Spanish

• Cognates
• Verb tenses, conjugation and agreement
• Diminutive and augmentation derivitives (ito, ón,
  ote, ísimo)
• Enclisis apócope (cualquier, cualquiera, gran,
  grande)

• Letras difíciles
• Parts of speech changes of function
• Singular/plural inflections noun/adjective
  agreement
• Classification by syllable stress written
  accent

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Dual Language Classrooms
Literacy Block
Literacy Block LiteratureStudies Thematic Units
IndependentReading-Sp
StructuredWriting-Eng
Read Aloud Oral Language
Guided Reading-Sp
Self-selected S/E Literature
Word Study
GuidedReading-Eng
Reader Response
Writing
English/Spanish as L2 Transfer Skills
Content Areas
Math Science Social Studies

Concept Development in L1ESL/SSL
Reinforcement
Sp/Eng Dominant
Bilingual Instruction/SDAIE
Bilingual Students
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References

• August, D. Shanahan, T. (Eds.) (2006).
  Developing literacy in second-language learners
  Report of the National Literacy Panel on
  Language-minority Children Youth. Mahwah, NJ
  Erlbaum Associates.
• Koda, K. (2008). Impact of prior literacy
  experience on second-language learning to read.
  In K. Koda A. Zehler (Eds.) Learning to read
  across languages Cross-linguistic relationships
  in first- and second-language literacy
  development, pp. 68-96. New York, NY Cambridge
  University Press.
• National Reading Panel (2000). Teaching children
  to read An evidence-based assessment of the
  scientific research literature on reading and its
  implications of reading instruction. (National
  Institute of Health Publication No. 00-4769).
  Washington, DC NICHD.
• RAND Reading Study Group (2002). Reading for
  understanding Toward an RD program in reading
  comprehension. Santa Monica, CA RAND Science
  Technology Policy Institute.
• Thonis, E. W. (1983). The English-Spanish
  Connection. Compton, CA Santillana.