Phonics

Why teach phonics?�Research and rationale

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Robert Woore

Discuss

• In your opinion, is it important to teach phonics (the relationship between letters and their sounds) in languages? Why/why not?

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• Is phonics currently taught in your school? If so, how well?

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• In your school, (a) how accurately and (b) how fluently can students pronounce written words in the foreign language? (consider both familiar and unknown words)

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• How much progress do they make in this area?

Robert Woore

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Robert Woore

Session outline

1. What is ‘phonics teaching’? Definitions of key terms.
2. The role of phonics in learning to read in L1 English
3. Learning to read / decode in different writing systems
4. Phonics in language teaching
1. Is phonological decoding important in L2? Why?
2. Is phonics instruction effective in L2 learning?
3. If so, ‘effective’ in what ways? What are the outcomes?
5. Summary and key messages

Robert Woore

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Robert Woore

1. Definitions

Phonics teaching: explicit teaching of the relationships between letters and their sounds in written words

Phoneme: “minimal sound unit … capable of contrasting word meaning” (Katamba, 1989:21)

Grapheme:

1. written unit corresponding to a phoneme

Symbol-sound correspondences (SSC): the systematic relationships between the written symbols and sounds (at any unit of size) in a given writing system.

Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondences (GPC)

• the systematic relationships between the graphemes and phonemes in a given writing system.

Robert Woore

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Phonological decoding (or ‘recoding’): “the ability to convert the visual print into its corresponding spoken form” Nassaji (2013)

< c a t >

CC0 license – pixabay.com

/ k a t /

Word recognition / identification (or ‘lexical access’): “the skill with which readers process the visual symbols in the print in order to recognize and access its meaning in the mental lexicon” Nassaji (2013)

1. Definitions

Robert Woore

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Phonological decoding

Familiar words: phonological representations already stored in mental lexicon – may be accessed as wholes

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Unfamiliar words / pseudowords: phonological forms must be generated at point of naming, using knowledge of the language’s symbol-sound correspondences

un crinoïde

l’ulmaire

jerette

1. Definitions

tirôt

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“The case for systematic phonic work is overwhelming and much strengthened by a synthetic approach” (Rose, 2006:20)

“We will improve early numeracy and literacy, promoting systematic synthetic phonics and assessing reading at age six to make sure that all children are on track” (DfE, 2010:43)

Year 1 ‘Phonics Screening Check’ in England

2. The role of phonics to read in L1 English

Robert Woore

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Synthetic phonics

• c –a – t 🡪 cat
• Common exception words also taught – e.g. ‘of’, ‘the’

Analytic phonics

• Children taught to recognize whole words first
• Then recognize patterns – e.g.
• cat, cake, car, cup all start with <c>
• cap, rip, flap all end in <p>

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• Emphasis on synthetic phonics is controversial
• “The available research evidence supports systematic tuition in phonics at a variety of levels (e.g. phoneme, onset-rime) combined with meaningful experiences with print” (Wyse & Styles 2007:40)

Types of phonics teaching

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• Evidence for the benefits of phonics is more established
• …but over-emphasis on phonics is controversial!

“If we want England’s children to get better at reading and to do more of it, we have to give them a diet that is attractive, nutritious and satisfying. Restricting them to an unbalanced diet, the thin gruel of a phonics-dominated approach, is a recipe for lowering standards and turning children against the written word. (…) Children certainly need instruction in the techniques, but they only become effective and committed readers through reading texts that interest them” (Dombey, 2010:13)

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• Gough & Tunmer (1986): ‘Simple View of Reading’ (SVR)

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• Reading comp. = Decoding (of written words) x Language comprehension

• Sounding out 🡪
• ‘sine qua non of reading acquisition’ (Share, 1995)
• Allows children to ‘discover’ the meaning of words
• Acts as a ‘self-teaching mechanism’

• In L1: beginner readers have a large bank of oral language knowledge to draw upon!

< c a t >

Cat image: CC0 license – pixabay.com

/ k a t /

Theoretical underpinnings

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Orthographic depth: a measure of how consistent / transparent the mappings are between graphemes and phonemes in a given writing system. European languages differ in their orthographic depth!

música

<u> <i> <a>

/u/ /i/ /a/

Orthographic depth

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to

moo

two

through

shoe

flew

flu

blue

/u/ (through)

/ɒf/ (cough)

/əʊ/ (though)

/ɔː/ (thought)

/aʊ/ (bough)

/ə/ (thorough)

/ɒx/ (lough)

Orthographic depth

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Orthographic depth

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Awareness-raising tasks and analogies like these may be useful for MFL students!

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• It might sometimes be useful to teach students the relationships between larger orthographic unit beyond individual graphemes.
• For example, in French:

-eur

-aine

-aille

-er

-ille

-ez

-ine

-euille

-ail

🡪 Hence, we’re using the term ‘SSC’ (symbol-sound correspondences) rather than ‘GPC’

-tion

-sion

Robert Woore

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1. What is ‘phonics teaching’? Definitions of key terms.
2. The role of phonics in learning to read in L1 English
3. Learning to read / decode in different writing systems
4. Phonics in language teaching
1. Is phonological decoding important in L2? Why?
2. Is phonics instruction effective in L2 learning?
3. If so, ‘effective’ in what ways? What are the outcomes?
5. Summary and key questions for my own classroom

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Session outline

Robert Woore

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Robert Woore

In L1 – it’s all about reading comprehension!

🡪 ‘discovering’ the meaning of words you already know orally.

BUT – in many instructed contexts (including MFL), learners make contact with written forms at the very onset of learning the language

2. The importance of decoding L2 English

Robert Woore

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Grabe and Stoller, 2011

One benefit of developing accurate letter-sound correspondences is lost in most L2 settings; that is, L2 students cannot match a sounded-out word to a word that they know orally because they do not yet know the word orally.

• But! Emerging evidence that there being able to decode accurately in L2 may have a positive impact on many aspects of language learning, including:

• Reading comprehension, Vocabulary learning (Hamada & Koda, 2008, 2011; Li, in progress), Learner autonomy, Grammar learning (Erler, 2003), Motivation (Erler & Macaro, 2011), Speaking, Listening, Writing (Macaro, 2007)

2. The importance of decoding L2 English

Robert Woore

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• Think about pupils in your own classrooms, in different year groups.
• How accurately (and fluently) can they pronounce L2 words?
• Research in UK MFL classrooms suggests that, in the absence of explicit instruction:
• students are not very good at phonological decoding (reading aloud);
• they seem to make little progress in this area;
• English spelling-sound links remain stubbornly entrenched;
• Students may know that words should sound different to English, but not know how they should sound.

(Sources: Erler, 2003, 2004; Erler & Macaro, 2012; Porter, 2014, forthcoming; Woore, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018)

How good are UK L2 learners at decoding?

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These words get more ridiculous as we go along

Some of these don't even look like real words. I reckon you're just trying to trick me

They're like really weird words, like they don't exist

I don't know because most of them look like gibberish basically

Robert Woore

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Phonics is the cornerstone of the approach to language teaching in my school and it works… The consequence is also a learner who is able to understand more text containing unfamiliar language, a learner who is more confident in speaking and reading out loud in the foreign language, and a more autonomous learner who is able to make links between words and apply patterns.

“There is significant evidence, including from the most effective practitioners, that direct and systematic teaching of phonics in the new language is a more reliable method for assuring accurate pronunciation and spelling. However, this is still relatively rare practice in classrooms” (TSC, 2016:12)

www.rachelhawkes.com/Resources/Phonics/Phonics.php

Can we teach phonics in languages?

Robert Woore

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What is the research evidence?

• Limited research evidence on teaching Phonics in foreign languages
• Three small-scale examples: doctoral studies (2 in UK MFL context)
• Recent larger-scale study: ‘FLEUR’ project (see pdcinmfl.com)

1. Woore (2011)

Method: Quasi-experimental study: 200 x Year 7 students, 4 schools, 6 intervention classes and 6 control. Year-long Phonics programme in Y7.

Findings: Small but ‘significant’ advantage for Phonics group over control group in decoding progress.

Limitations: Effects on other outcomes not measured – “at what cost?”

Little opportunity to practise SSC as part of a wider programme of L2 reading

No delayed post-test: was learning sustained?

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Can we teach phonics in languages?

Robert Woore

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Method. Combined oracy-and-literacy intervention (including phonics) in 2 primary school classrooms, lasting 24 weeks. Pre-, post-, delayed post-tests.

Findings. Children improved at reading aloud over the intervention – but the learning faded once the teaching stopped.

Limitations. No control group – therefore cannot know whether the improvements resulted from the intervention or other teaching

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2. Porter (2014)

Method. Chinese university students learning English as a Foreign Language. 12 weeks of systematic phonics covering 101 English GPC. Control group had phonology training, but no Phonics.

Findings. Phonics group made significantly more progress than control group in (a) phonological decoding and (b) intentional vocabulary learning.

Limitations. No delayed post-tests. Teaching done by the researcher, not by ‘usual’ teachers: is this scalable?

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3. Li (forthcoming)

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• Experimental study (Randomized Control Trial)
• Pre-, post-, delayed post-test design
• c. 900 students in 36 schools nationally (33 comprehensive, 3 grammar)
• Intervention phase lasted 16 weeks, c.25 minutes per week
• Interventions delivered by usual class teachers

Reading comprehension

Phonics

Strategy instruction

Challenging texts

Challenging texts

Challenging texts

Vocabulary

Phonological decoding

Strategic behaviour

Self-efficacy

Motivation

Teachers’ / students’ views

French Language Education: Unlocking Reading (FLEUR)

Woore et al. (2018)

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Choice of target graphemes made collaboratively with teachers

Based on: (a) difficulty for English speakers; (b) frequency in the language (more detail on this in half-day sessions!)

4 aspects of instruction:

• Awareness raising – differences between English and French writing systems
• Introducing new SSC
• Practising new SSC – controlled practice and ‘open-ended’ practice (challenging texts)
• Recapping of SSC already covered

Target graphemes:

1. SFC^* & SFe^*�2. i/ie�3. SFe^* �4. é (+ ez ée er)�5. ou / u�6. en / an�7. qu / ch / ç

8. eau / au�9. -ation, -ition

10. in / ain / ien

11. oi / eu

12. eu

13. è / ê / ai

Note: SFC = Silent Final Consonants; SFe = Silent Final <e>

Fleur project- phonics programme

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• Explicit phonics instruction led to significantly greater progress in phonological decoding (after controlling for prior attainment)
• Pen-and-paper decoding test: less sensitive than Reading Aloud Task, so actual gains may have been greater!
• No difference between groups in reading comprehension outcomes
• Phonics group made significantly more gains in vocabulary knowledge
• Vocab knowledge is known to be a key contributor to all language skills!

Decoding score 6-7 percentage points higher

Estimated vocabulary knowledge (t2): 2000 most frequent French words

Fleur study- findings (pre- / post- tests)

Robert Woore

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Robert Woore

1. What is ‘phonics teaching’? Definitions of key terms.
2. The role of phonics in learning to read in L1 English
3. Learning to read / decode in different writing systems
4. Phonics in language teaching
1. Is phonological decoding important in L2? Why?
2. Is phonics instruction effective in L2 learning?
3. If so, ‘effective’ in what ways? What are the outcomes?
5. Summary and key questions for my own classroom

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Session outline

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Robert Woore

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Robert Woore

• Phonics can be taught in languages – it helps develop phonological decoding
• Without phonics, progress in phonological decoding may be limited
• Teaching needs to be sustained. SSC in the foreign language need to be mastered and stable – and ultimately, automatized
• There is no apparent detriment to reading comprehension, despite the time spent on explicit phonics teaching.
• In L1, Phonics is all about reading comprehension. But in L2/3, the benefits appear to be wider.
• Phonics may benefit learner autonomy and vocabulary learning in particular
• …and vocabulary knowledge is key to foreign language learning!

Summary of key points arising from research

Robert Woore

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Robert Woore

• More work is needed to identify the most effective ways of teaching phonics in MFL, but these likely include:
• Awareness raising of differences between L1/L2 writing systems
• Explicit teaching of key symbol-sound correspondences (SSC) (not necessarily only GPC!) focussing on those most different from L1
• Plenty of practice, to reinforce SSC knowledge and develop automaticity
• A rich diet of reading material alongside any focussed phonics practice – to promote motivation
• Phonics may be easier to teach in shallow orthographies (e.g. Spanish, German, Italian) than in French. In French, more sustained effort may be needed, but there is still payback for the learner.

Summary of key points arising from research

Robert Woore

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1. Plan and teach it, as it seems to help a LOT of things.
2. Keep going with it (especially French).
3. Keep testing it (especially French).

Key take-home messages

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Cook, V. and Bassetti, B. (2005b) ‘An introduction to researching Second Language Writing systems’, in V. Cook & B. Bassetti (eds.) (2005) Second Language Writing systems. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, pp. 1-70.

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Daller, H., Milton, J. and Treffers-Daller, J. (2007) ‘Editors’ introduction: conventions, terminology and an overview of the book’. In H. Daller, J. Milton and J. Treffers-Daller (Eds.), Modelling and Assessing Vocabulary Knowledge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1-32

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DfE (2010) The Importance of Teaching: The Schools white paper 2010. London: Department for Education.

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Dombey, H. (2010) Teaching Reading: What the Evidence Says. Leicester: UKLA.

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Erler, L. (2003) Reading in a Foreign Language – Near-Beginner Adolescents’ Experiences of French in English Secondary Schools. DPhil Thesis, Oxford University.

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Erler, L. (2004) ‘Near-Beginner Learners of French Are Reading at a Disability Level’. Francophonie, vol. 30, pp. 9-15.

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Erler, L. and Macaro, E. (2012) ‘Decoding Ability in French as a Foreign Language and Language Learning Motivation’. The Modern Language Journal, 95(4): 496-518.

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Gough, P. B. and Tunmer, W. E., 1986. Decoding, reading, and reading disability. Remedial and special education, 7(1), pp.6-10.

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Grabe, W. and Stoller, F. L. (2011) Teaching and researching reading. London: Longman.

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Hamada, M. and Koda, K. (2008) ‘Influence of First Language Orthographic Experience on Second Language Decoding and Word Learning’. Language Learning, vol. 58, no. 1, pp.1-31.

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References

Robert Woore

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Robert Woore

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Hamada, M. and Koda, K. (2011) ‘The role of the phonological loop in English word learning: A comparison of Chinese ESL learners and native speakers’. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 40(2), pp.75-92.

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Katamba, F. (1989) An Introduction to Phonology. London:Longman.

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Macaro, E. (2007) ‘Do beginner learners of French have any writing strategies?’ Language Learning Journal, 35, pp. 23–36.

�Nassaji, H. (2014) ‘The role and importance of lower-level processes in second language reading’. Language Teaching, 47(1): 1-37.

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Odlin, T. (1989) Language Transfer: Cross-linguistic influence in language-learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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Porter, A.M. (2014) An early start to French literacy: Learning the spoken and written word simultaneously in English primary schools. PhD thesis, University of Southampton.

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Rose, J. (2006) Independent review of the Teaching of Early Reading: Final Report. London: DfES.

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Seymour, P. H. K., Aro, M. and Erskine, J. M. (2003) ‘Foundation Literacy Acquisition in European Orthographies’. British Journal of Psychology, vol. 94, pp. 143–174.

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Share, D. L. (1995) ‘Phonological recoding and self-teaching: sine qua non of reading acquisition’. Cognition, vol. 55, pp. 151-208.

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Woore, R. (2007) ‘“Weisse Maus in Meinem Haus”: Using Poems and Learner Strategies to Help Learners Decode the Sounds of the L2’. Language Learning Journal, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 175-188.

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References

Robert Woore

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Robert Woore

Woore, R. (2009) ‘Beginners’ progress in decoding L2 French: some longitudinal evidence from English Modern Foreign Languages classrooms’. Language Learning Journal, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 3-18.

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Woore, R. (2010) ‘Thinking aloud about L2 decoding: an exploration into the strategies used by beginner learners when pronouncing unfamiliar French words’. Language Learning Journal, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 3-17.

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Woore, R. (2011) Investigating and developing beginner learners’ decoding proficiency in second language French: an evaluation of two programmes of instruction. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Oxford.

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Woore, R. (2014) ‘Beginner learners’ progress in decoding L2 French: transfer effects in typologically similar L1-L2 writing systems’. Writing Systems Research, volume 4(2): 167-189.

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Woore, R (2018) ‘Learners’ pronunciations of familiar and unfamiliar French words: what can they tell us about phonological decoding in an L2?’ The Language Learning Journal, 46(4):456-69.

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Woore, R., Graham, S., Porter, A., Courtney, L. and Savory, C. (2018) Foreign Language Education: Unlocking Reading (FLEUR) - A study into the teaching of reading to beginner learners of French in secondary school. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:4b0cb239-72f0-49e4-8f32-3672625884f0

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Wyse, D. and Styles, M. (2007) ‘Synthetic phonics and the teaching of reading: the debate surrounding England’s “Rose Report”’. Literacy, 41(1), pp. 35-42

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Ziegler, J. and Goswami, U. (2005) ‘Reading Acquisition, Developmental Dyslexia and Skilled Reading Across Languages: A Psycholinguistic Grain Size Theory’. Psychological Bulletin, vol. 131, no. 1, pp. 3-29.

References

Robert Woore

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Robert Woore