Year: 1994
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The processes responsible for decoding printed words were studied by means of a naming experiment. Subjects were asked to read three types of test stimuli; English words, isolated pseudo-words based on real English words, and pseudo-words primed by real regular and irregular words with the same orthographic pattern. Two language groups were examined; English subjects, whose L1 has a complex relationship between spelling and speech, and advanced Finnish speakers of English, whose L1 has a simple and direct correspondence. The Finnish subjects read a significant number of real words incorrectly. Word frequency seemed to be the primary factor that determined accuracy. The initial hypothesis for the pseudo-words was that whereas the English subjects would use a variety of decoding strategies to read the items, the Finnish speakers would transfer their L1 processing strategies (i.e., spelling-to-sound correspondences) when reading in their L2. These hypotheses were not supported for either language group. This suggests that whereas the English subjects have similar and consistent decoding strategies, the advanced Finnish readers of English have not developed constant strategies. This paper addresses the implications of the findings for further research and for language teaching.
Author: Howard Zuckernick
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2588239518