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Crosslinguistic influence on phonological awareness for Korean–English bilingual children

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Abstract

This study examined (1) the potential influence of oral language characteristics of two languages that bilingual children acquire on their PA and (2) the relationship of PA in L1 with PA and literacy skills in L2, using data from Korean–English bilingual children. Thirty three Korean–English bilingual children, composed of two subsamples from two different locations/bilingual programs, participated in the study. The findings showed that the sample of bilingual children from two bilingual programs differed in their mean performances on intrasyllabic phonological awareness in Korean (i.e., rime awareness and body awareness). Furthermore, children’s Korean rime awareness, but not body awareness, was positively related to their phonological awareness and literacy skills in English. Finally, these children’s phonological awareness in Korean made a positive contribution to English decoding skills even after controlling for their English sight word reading skills. The results are discussed in light of interlingual influence on bilingual children’s phonological awareness.

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Notes

  1. The hierarchical structure of the syllable of this view is that the syllable is divided into body and coda. The body is composed of the onset and the nucleus.

  2. Saturday (or weekend) language schools provide opportunities for Korean-American children to learn the Korean language and literacy, and enhance ethnic cultural identity. These are found in many metropolitan areas across the United States. There were approximately 254 registered Korean weekend schools in the Los Angeles area in 2005 (Zhou & Kim, 2006).

  3. It is acknowledged that Fug is a real word. However, the children in this study would not have known the word.

  4. Since there is no single operational definition of English language learners, this statement is based on the broad definition of English Language Learners that all these children’s spoke a language other than English at home. It is acknowledged that English language learner status/classification is on a continuum and changing and temporary (see Francis, Rivera, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Rivera, 2006).

  5. The author wishes to thank an anonymous reviewer for this point.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank all the children, parents, and teachers in the study. In addition, the author wishes to thank anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida State University and Florida Center for Reading Research, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    Young-Suk Kim

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  1. Young-Suk Kim
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Correspondence to Young-Suk Kim.

Appendices

Appendix A. Stimuli used in the Korean phonological awareness tasks

 

Blending task

Segmenting task

Syllable awareness

Practice item 1

토끼 /tokki/ [rabbit]

교회 /kyohwɛ/ [church]

Practice item 2

학교 /hakkyo/ [school]

가위 /kawi/ [sissors]

Item 1

수박 /subak/ [watermelon]

노래 /norɛ/ [songs]

Item 2

포도 /phodo/ [grapes]

머리 /mʌri/ [head/hair]

Item 3

비누 /pinu/ [soap]

바다 /pada/ [ocean]

Item 4

엄마 /ʌmma/ [mom]

케익 /kek] [cake]

Item 5

동생 /doŋsɛŋ/ [younger sibling]

공책/koŋʧɛk/ [notebook]

Body awareness

Practice item 1

강 /kaŋ/ [river]

밥 /pap/ [cooked rice]

Practice item 2

물 /mul/ [water]

병 /pyʌŋ/ [bottle]

Item 1

신 /ʃin/ [shoes]

창 /ʧaŋ/ [window]

Item 2

빵/ ppaŋ/ [bread]

별 /pyʌl/ [star]

Item 3

떡 /ttʌk/ [rice cake]

손 /son/ [hand]

Item 4

밥 /pap/ [cooked rice]

달 /tal/ [moon]

Item 5

말 /mal/ [horse]

집 /ʒip/ [house/home]

Rime awareness

Practice item 1

봄 /pom/ [spring]

방 /paŋ/ [room]

Practice item 2

펜 /phɛn/ [pen]

껌 /kkʌm/ [gum]

Item 1

산 /san/ [mountain]

공/koŋ/ [ball]

Item 2

목 /mok/ [neck]

문 /mun/ [door]

Item 3

밤 /pam/ [night/chestnut]

돈 /ton/ [money]

Item 4

책 /ʧ!ɛk/ [book]

팔 /phal/ [arms]

Item 5

눈 /nun/ [eyes]

국 /kuk/ [soup]

Phoneme awareness

Practice item 1

소 /so/ [cow]

자 /ʒa/ [ruler]

Practice item 2

나 /na/ [I/me]

표 /phyo/ [ticket]

Item 1

비 /pi/ [rain]

개 /kɛ/ [dog]

Item 2

새 /sɛ/ [bird]

초 /ʧo/ [candle]

Item 3

차 /ʧa/ [car/tea]

너 /nʌ/ [you]

Item 4

파 /pha/ [green onion]

코 /kho/ [nose]

Item 5

해 /hɛ/ [sun]

씨 /ssi/ [seed]

Practice item 3

잠 /ʒam/[sleep]

풀 /phul/ [grass]

Item 6

문 /mun/ [door]

곰 /kom/ [bear]

Item 7

감 /kam/ [persimmon]

발 /pal/ [foot]

Item 8

달 /tal/ [moon]

눈 /nun/ [eyes]

Item 9

땀 /ttam/ [sweat]

형 /hyʌŋ/ [older brother]

Item 10

김 /kim/ [laver]

공 /koŋ/ [ball]

Appendix B. Stimuli used for the Korean word reading

Practice item:

  1. 1.

    사자 /saʒa/ [lion]

Test items:

  1. 1.

    기차 /kiʧa/ [train]

  2. 2.

    물고기 /mulkkogi/ [fish]

  3. 3.

    산 /san/ [mountain]

  4. 4.

    집 /ʒip/ [house/home]

  5. 5.

    파도 /phado/ [waves]

  6. 6.

    나비 /nabi/ [butterfly]

  7. 7.

    라면 /lamyʌn/ [ramen noodles]

  8. 8.

    다리 /tari/ [legs]

  9. 9.

    코 /kho/ [nose]

  10. 10.

    하나 /hana/ [one]

  11. 11.

    바다 /pada/ [ocean]

  12. 12.

    엄마 /ʌmma/ [mom]

  13. 13.

    차 /ʧa/ [car/tea]

  14. 14.

    선생님 /sʌnsæŋnim/ [teacher]

  15. 15.

    토끼 /thokki/ [rabbit]

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Kim, YS. Crosslinguistic influence on phonological awareness for Korean–English bilingual children. Read Writ 22, 843–861 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-008-9132-z

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