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Akshara Processing in Telugu Depends on Syllabic and Phonemic Sensitivity: Preliminary Evidence from Normal Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Children

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Handbook of Literacy in Akshara Orthography

Part of the book series: Literacy Studies ((LITS,volume 17))

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Abstract

The long-held view that most Brahmi-derived Indic scripts are prototypically alpha-syllabaries as well as a more recent proposal that these scripts are functionally alphabetic in terms of how they are read, have met with challenges in recent years. A consensus seems to be emerging about the idea that cognitive processes involved in beginning reading cannot be adequately understood without reference to sub-lexical processing that draws on language-specific syllable structures, and the extent of phonological information coded in the script. The research reported in this chapter deals with Telugu akshara processing abilities of 15 normal-hearing, and 15 hearing-impaired children. They were assessed using three specially designed tasks: akshara substitution, akshara deletion, and adding length marker to the vowel within one of the aksharas of target words. All three tasks made use of meaningful printed Telugu words. Both groups found deletion task more difficult than substitution task. All the children exhibited considerable phonemic sensitivity in the task requiring them to attach a vowel length marker to vowel in the first akshara of each target word. However, they scored poorly in making lexical decisions. These results are discussed in the light of sonority principles, and characteristic features of graphic syllables associated with Telugu writing system. Implications for the assessment and literacy instruction are discussed briefly.

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful to all the children who provided the data discussed in this chapter and to their parents and teachers for extending cooperation during data-collection and training phase. This research was supported by a grant from the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi under their Research Award scheme.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Linguistics, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

    Vasanta Duggirala

Authors
  1. Vasanta Duggirala
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vasanta Duggirala .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture, College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    R. Malatesha Joshi

  2. Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Catherine McBride

Appendix

Appendix

Target Words and their glosses in Orthographic syllable substitution, syllable deletion, and change of vowel maatra tasks

  1. 1.

    In the first column, syllable printed in bold must be replaced with one of two alternate syllables

  2. 2.

    In the fifth column under Vowel change task, the first ten words result in new meaningful words even after attaching a length marker to the vowel portion of the akshara, the next ten do not. They were mixed and presented randomly.

  3. 3.

    The syllable division indicated by a dot in the target words refers to orthographic syllables.

Syllable Substitution

Syllable Deletion

Vowel Change

Target word/O.S

Gloss

Target word

Gloss

Target word

Gloss

gam.pa   ʈa, ka

Basket

daa.ni.mma

Pomegranate

na.di

River

na.kka    ppa, tta

Fox

mu.gg.uru

Three people

pu.ri

Hay-stack

caa.ku  mee, gaa

Knife

kaa.ku.lu

Crows

me.É–a

Neck

gu.ɖɖi   rram, ra

Blind

wee.shaa.lu

Costume

si.la

Statue

ba.llu.lu  ʈlu, ssu

Lizards

mo.la.ka

Sprout

pa.É–u

Fall

ce.lli   ppu, pi

Sister

kum.pa.ʈi

Coal-burner

ka.É­É­u

Eyes

ce.kka  ɖii, kram

Wood

dii.paa.lu

Lights

ta.É–i

Wetness

li.pi   i, ʈoo

Script

gu.É–i.se

Hut

dza.É–a

Plait

ce.Tlu   me, ta

Trees

mu.ppo.ddu

3rd quarter of the day

ko.na

Corner

paa.mu.lu ʈa, sa

Snakes

we.nne.la

Moon light

we.É­É­u

Go

gun. ɖu rem, num

Bald head

mu.na.ga

Drumstick

ga.É–i

Latch

paa.ʈa   bu, lu

Song

gon.ga.É–i

Blanket

pa.ni

Work

mo.kka.lu nnu, gga

Plants

taa.ma.ra

Lotus

ta.la

Head

ba.rre   lli, di

Buffalo

dza.lle.É–a

Sieve

ce.É–u

Bad

waa.dyam tu, ram

Musical instrument

mo.ga.li

A flower

wi.nu

Hear

ree.wu.lu ku, ga

River banks

paa.wa.É–aa

Skirt

po.da

Bush

mee.ku  aa, Taa

Nail

pan.É–u.ga

Festival

li.pi

Script

dum.palu dzam,gam

Root vegitables

ki.raa.yi

Rent

si.ga

Hair-do

pe.nnu ta, dza

Pen

waa.sa.na

Fragrance

mu.ni

Saint

co.ʈʈa.lu  lla, kkaa

Dents

dzaa.bi.lli

Moon

gu.ri

Aim

  1. OS Orthographic Syllable

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Duggirala, V. (2019). Akshara Processing in Telugu Depends on Syllabic and Phonemic Sensitivity: Preliminary Evidence from Normal Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Children. In: Joshi, R.M., McBride, C. (eds) Handbook of Literacy in Akshara Orthography. Literacy Studies, vol 17. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05977-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05977-4_7

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