Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The differential roles of paired associate learning in Chinese and English word reading abilities in bilingual children

  • Published:
Reading and Writing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Paired associated learning (PAL) is a critical skill for making arbitrary associations among print, pronunciation and meaning in reading development. Extended from past research of PAL, this study investigated whether PAL operated flexibly to linguistic demands of languages, by examining word reading abilities in Chinese–English bilingual children. One hundred and twenty-one 8-year-old Chinese–English bilingual children in Hong Kong were included. Children were administered nonverbal reasoning and PAL tasks (condition 1: visual-pronunciation PAL pair; condition 2: visual-semantics PAL pair), as well as Chinese and English measures of phonological processing and word reading. Results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that PAL performance contributed to word reading, after the effects of nonverbal reasoning and phonological processing were accounted for. Specifically, visual-semantics PAL predicted Chinese word reading, while visual-pronunciation PAL predicted English word reading. These findings have indicated that visual–verbal PAL and phonological processing represent unique mechanisms important to reading in Chinese and English. The differential roles of visual-pronunciation and visual-semantics mappings suggest cognitive processes in reading acquisition, like PAL, might be flexible in bilinguals. Different mechanisms could be utilized in learning to read various scripts depending on the scripts’ characteristics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Cantonese is transcribed according to Linguistic Society of Hong Kong transcription system http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-can/.

References

  • Barac, R., & Bialystok, E. (2012). Bilingual effects on cognitive and linguisitic development: Role of language, cultural background, and education. Child Development, 83(2), 413–422.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bialystok, E., Barac, R., Blaye, A., & Poulin-Dubois, D. (2010). Word mapping and executive functioning in young monlingual and bilingual children. Journal of Cognition and Development, 11(4), 485–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bialystok, E., Luk, G., & Kwan, E. (2005). Bilingualism, biliteracy, and learning to read: Interactions among languages and writing systems. Scientific Studies of Reading, 9(1), 43–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Branum-Martin, L., Tao, S., Garnaat, S., Bunta, F., & Francis, D. J. (2012). Meta-analysis of bilingual phonological awareness: Language, age, and psycholinguistic grain size. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(4), 932–944.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, S. M., & Meltzoff, A. N. (2008). Bilingual experience and executive functioning in young children. Developmental Science, 11(2), 282–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, X., Anderson, R. C., Li, W., Hao, M., Wu, X., & Shu, H. (2004). Phonological awareness of bilingual and monolingual Chinese children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(1), 142–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, H., & Ng, L. (2003). Chinese reading development in some major Chinese societies: An introduction. In McBride-Chang & Chen (Eds.), Reading development in Chinese children (pp. 3–17).

  • Chow, B. W.-Y., McBride-Chang, C., & Burgess, S. (2005). Phonological processing skills and early reading abilities in Hong Kong Chinese kindergartners learning to read English as a second language. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97, 81–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duff, F. J., & Hulme, C. (2012). The role of children’s phonological and semantic knowledge in learning to read words. Scientific Studies of Reading, 16(6), 504–525.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehri, L. C. (1995). Phases of development in learning to read words by sight. Journal of Research in Reading, 18(2), 116–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geva, E., & Siegel, L. S. (2000). Orthographic and cognitive factors in the concurrent development of basic reading skills in two languages. Reading and Writing, 12(1–2), 1–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho, C. S.-H., Chan, D. W., Tsang, S., & Lee, S. (2000). The Hong Kong test of specific learning difficulties in reading and writing (HKT-SpLD) manual. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Specific Learning Difficulties Research Team.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoosain, R. (1991). Psycholinguistic implications for linguistic relativity: A case study of Chinese. United kingdom: Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsiao, J. H. W., & Shillcock, R. (2006). Analysis of a Chinese phonetic compound database: Implications for orthographic processing. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 35(5), 405–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hulme, C., Goetz, K., Gooch, D., Adams, J., & Snowling, M. J. (2007). Paired-associate learning, phoneme awareness, and learning to read. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 96(2), 150–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lafrance, A., & Gottardo, A. (2005). A longitudinal study of phonological processing skills and reading in bilingual children. Applied Psycholinguistics, 26(04), 559–578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, H., & Rao, N. (2005). Curricular and instructional influences on early literacy attainment: Evidence from Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. International Journal of Early Years Education, 13(3), 235–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, H., Shu, H., McBride-Chang, C., Liu, H., & Xue, J. (2009). Paired associate learning in Chinese children with dyslexia. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 103(2), 135–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, P. D., & McBride-Chang, C. (2010). What is morphological awareness? Tapping lexical compounding awareness in Chinese third graders. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(1), 62–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McBride-Chang, C. (2004). Children’s literacy development (texts in developmental psychology series). London: Edward Arnold.

    Google Scholar 

  • McBride-Chang, C., Bialystok, E., Chong, K. K. Y., & Li, Y. (2004). Levels of phonological awareness in three cultures. Journal of Experimental Chid Psychology, 89, 93–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McBride-Chang, C., & Kail, R. V. (2002). Cross–cultural similarities in the predictors of reading acquisition. Child Development, 73(5), 1392–1407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Messbauer, V. S., & de Jong, P. F. (2003). Word, nonword and visual paired associate learning in Dutch dyslexic children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 84(2), 77–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newman, E. H., Tardif, T., Huang, J., & Shu, H. (2011). Phonemes matter: The role of phoneme-level awareness in emergent Chinese readers. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 108(2), 242–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raven, J. C., Court, J., & Raven, J. (1996). Raven’s standard progressive matrices. Oxford, England: Oxford Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seidenberg, M. S., & McClelland, J. L. (1989). A distributed, developmental model of word recognition and naming. Psychological Review, 96(4), 523–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shu, H., Chen, X., Anderson, R. C., Wu, N., & Xuan, Y. (2003). Properties of school Chinese: Implications for learning to read. Child Development, 74(1), 27–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snowling, M. J., & Hulme, C. (2005). The science of reading: A handbook. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, R., Torgesen, J., & Rashotte, C. (1999). Comprehensive test of phonological processes (CTOPP). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, M., & Koda, K. (2005). Commonalities and differences in word identification skills among learners of English as a second language. Language Learning, 55(1), 71–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warmington, M., & Hulme, C. (2012). Phoneme awareness, visual–verbal paired-associate learning, and rapid automatized naming as predictors of individual differences in reading ability. Scientific Studies of Reading, 16(1), 45–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Windfuhr, K. L., & Snowling, M. J. (2001). The relationship between paired associate learning and phonological skills in normally developing readers. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 80(2), 160–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler, J. C., & Goswami, U. (2005). Reading acquisition, developmental dyslexia, and skilled reading across languages: A psycholinguistic grain size theory. Psychological Bulletin, 131(1), 3–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from City University of Hong Kong (7200283). I thank the children for their participation in this study and the research assistance of Hey Tou Chiu.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Bonnie Wing-Yin Chow

Authors
  1. Bonnie Wing-Yin Chow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bonnie Wing-Yin Chow.

Appendix

Appendix

Examples constructed to illustrate the PAL stimuli used in past studies.

figure c

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chow, B.WY. The differential roles of paired associate learning in Chinese and English word reading abilities in bilingual children. Read Writ 27, 1657–1672 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-014-9514-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-014-9514-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation