Comparing written and spoken language
8.
What are the two routes that are part of the dual-approach to reading?
The direct-access route and the indirect-access route.
Why is English considered an "outlier language?"
It is considered an "outlier language" because of its numerous irregular pronunciations of English words.
Is it harder for children to learn to write or learn a language?
It is harder for them to learn to write.
Do we only sound out words or only recognize them by sight?
It's a combination, sometimes readers sound out words. Other times they do not.
English is an "outlier language" with unpredictable pronunciation. What were the results of the study that measured children's reading skills in 14 different countries?
English was the least predictable of the languages. Children only had reading accuracy scores of 34%.
How does reading differ from speech?
Reading is visual and spread out across space, while speech is auditory and spread out across time.
What is the direct-access route?
You recognize a word directly through vision. This route will likely be used if a word has irregular spelling and can't be sounded out, like the word "through."
The whole-word approach is favored by those who support the direct-access approach. What does the whole-word approach argue?
Readers can directly connect the written word with the meaning that it represents. It emphasizes that children should identify a word in terms of its context in a sentence.
Do adults learn new words more quickly when they are spoken or written?
They learn new words more quickly if the words are in a written form.
What is the indirect-access route?
You see a word and immediately translate it into some form of sound, before you can even access a word and its meaning. You are likely to use this route if the word can be sounded out and has regular spelling. You sound out the word instead of immediately recognizing what it is (that would be the direct-access route).
The phonics approach is favored by those who support the indirect-access approach. What is the phonics approach?
The phonics approach states that readers recognize words by attempting to pronounce the individual letters in the word. Ex: your teacher told you to "sound out" words in elementary school. That was the phonics approach.
How do boundaries differ between readers and listeners?
Readers see discrete boundaries between words. Listeners encounter unclear boundaries in spoken language. It is harder for them to differentiate between the end of a word and the beginning of the next word.
Does brain imaging research support the dual-route approach?
It does support the dual-route approach. Readers can either directly or indirectly identify words, depending on their reading abilities and text characteristics.
What is the whole-language approach?
This approach argues that reading instruction should be enjoyable and emphasize meaning to increase children's enthusiasm. They should read interesting stories and experiment with writing before they are proficient spellers.