The contribution of phonological processing skills to early literacy development in northern Sotho-English bilingual children : a longitudinal investigation

Abstract

Phonological processing skills, including phonological awareness, phonological working memory and rapid automatised naming, are widely accepted as essential building blocks of early literacy development (Wagner and Torgesen 1987, 192). Despite this, no previous research has investigated the long-term contribution of phonological processing skills to literacy acquisition in Northern Sotho-English emergent bilingual children. Perhaps as a result of this knowledge gap, the South Africa curriculum provides no systematic guidance on how these foundational skills should be taught in Northern Sotho. There is also little understanding of how these skills might transfer between Northern Sotho and English. This longitudinal study investigated the contribution of various phonological processing abilities to literacy acquisition in Northern Sotho children and examined the cross-linguistic relationship between these skills. Using both standardised and self-made assessments, data was collected in both Northern Sotho and English from two groups of learners (134 in total) in the foundation phase. One group used Northern Sotho as Language of Learning and Teaching, while the other group used English as Language of Learning and Teaching. Data were collected at three points (beginning of Grade 2, end of Grade 2 and end of Grade 3). Statistical analysis of the data suggests that phonological awareness and rapid automatised naming are the strongest long-term predictors of literacy acquisition in Northern Sotho and in English in this population. Phonological awareness was also the strongest cross-linguistic predictor of literacy skills. Furthermore, the results provided evidence that learners were (over)using one linguistic grain size (syllables) to facilitate reading in both Northern Sotho and in English, but that phoneme awareness predicted literacy outcomes better than syllable awareness. Learners showed significant progress on most skills from the beginning of Grade 2 to the end of Grade 2. A few significant group differences were observed, but the findings did not suggest substantial mother tongue advantages in the overall development of learners' cognitive-linguistic and literacy skills. The study provides evidence of the importance of teaching phonological awareness at the phoneme level in both Northern Sotho and English. The implication is that language-specific phonological and orthographic features of Southern African Bantu languages must be considered in the South African curriculum and in African reading methodologies.

Mabokgoni a tshepedišo ya thutapopomodumo, e akaretša temošo ya thutapopomodumo, monagano wo o šomago wa thutapopomodumo le mmitšo wa ka pele wa go itiriša, di amogelwa ka bophara bjalo ka diboloko tše bohlokwa tša go aga tša tlhabollo ya go bala le go ngwala (litherasi) (Wagner le Torgesen, 1987:192). Le ge go le bjalo, ga go na thuto ya nyakišišo yeo e dirlwego ya go nyakišiša pakatelele ya kabo ya mabokgoni a tshepedišo ya thutapopomodumo mo go ithuteng ga go bala le go ngwala (itherasi) ka Sesotho sa Leboa – Seisemane mo thomegong ya barutwana ba dipolelopedi. Mohlomongwe ka lebaka la sekgoba sa tsebo se, kharikhulamo ya Afrika Borwa ga e fe tlhahlo ye e tsepamego ya ka moo mabokgoni a a motheo a swanetšwego go ka rutwa ka Sesotho sa leboa. Go na le tsebo ye nnyane ya ka moo mabokgoni a ka fetetšwago ka gona magareng ga Sesotho sa Leboa le Seisemane. Thuto ye ya go laetša botelele e nyakišišitše kabelo ye e fapafapanego ya dikgonagalo tša tshepedišo ya thutapopomodumo mo go ithuteng go bala le go ngwala ga bana ba Sesotho sa Leboa le go hlahloba tswalano ye e putlago ya popopolelo magareng ga mabokgoni a. Go šomiša bobedi diteko tša semmušo le tša maitirelo, difiwa (data) di ile tša kgoboketšwa ka Sesotho sa Leboa le ka Seisemane, go tšwa go dihlopha tše pedi tša barutwana (134 ka palo) go kgato ya motheo. Sehlopha se sengwe se ile sa šomiša Sesotho sa Leboa bjalo ka Leleme la go Ithuta le go Ruta, mola se sengwe sehlopha se ile sa šomiša Seisemane bjalo ka Leleme la go Ithuta le go Ruta. Difiwa (data) di ile tša kgoboketšwa makgethong a mararo (mathomong a Kereiti ya 2, mafelelong a Kereiti ya 2 le mafelelong a Kereiti ya 3). Phetleko ya dipalopalo ya dfiwa (data) e akanya gore temošo ya thutapopomodumo le mmitšo wa ka pele wa go itiriša ke dintlha tše tiilego tša ditšhupi tša pakatelele tša go ithuta go bala le go ngwala (litherasi) mo go Sesotho sa Leboa le Seisemane mo go batho ba. Temošo ya thutapopomodumo e laeditše gape ditšhupi tše tiilego tša pakatelele tša mabokgoni a go bala le go ngwala (litherasi). Go feta moo, dipoelo di file bohlatse bja gore barutwana ba be ba šomiša kudu saese ya go lekana le thoro ya popopolelo (dinoko) go nolofatša go bala mo go Sesotho sa Leboa le Seisemane, eupša temošo ya tlhaka e akantše dipoelo tša go bala le go ngwala (litherasi) bokaone go feta temošo ya senoko. Barutwana ba laeditše tšwelopele ye kgolo mo go mabokgoni a mantši go tloga mathomong a Kereiti ya 2 go ya mafelelong a Kereiti ya 2. Go bile le diphapano tše mmalwa go dihlopha, eupša dikhwetšo ga se tša akanya kudu mohola wa leleme la gae bjalo ka kgodišo ya barutwana ya mabokgoni a tsebo ya popopolelo le go bala le go ngwala (litherasi). Thuto e fana ka bohlatse bja bohlokwa bja go ruta temošo ya thutapopomodumo mo go maemo a tlhaka ka Sesotho sa Leboa le Seisemane. Se se eletša gore thutapopomodumo ya polelo ye e rilego le dibopego tša mongwalo wa dipolelo tša Bathobaso tša Borwa bja Afrika di swanetše go lebelela kharikhulamo ya Afrika Borwa le mekgwa ya go bala ya SeAfrika.

Fonologiese verwerkingsvaardighede, insluitende fonologiese bewussyn, fonologiese werkgeheue en snelle geoutomatiseerde benaming word algemeen beskou as noodsaaklike boustene in vroeë geletterdheidsontwikkeling. Ten spyte hiervan is daar tot dusvêr geen navorsing verrig om die longitudinale effek van fonologiese verwerkingsvaardighede op die ontwikkeling van geletterdheid in Noord-Sotho - Engels ontluikende tweetalige kinders te ondersoek nie. Moontlik as gevolg van hierdie kennisgaping is daar tans geen sistematiese riglyne in die Suid-Afrikaanse kurrikulum wat op die instruksie van hierdie fundamentele vaardighede in Noord-Sotho fokus nie. Daar is ook weining insig in hoe (indien enigsins) hierdie vaardighede van Noord-Sotho na Engels (en omgekeerd) oorgedra word. Hierdie longitudinale studie se hoofdoel is om die rol van verskeie fonologiese verwerkingsvaardighede in die verwerwing van geletterdheid in Noord-Sotho vas te stel. ’n Sekondêre doel is om die aard van die wedersydse verband tussen hierdie vaardighede in Noord-Sotho en in Engels vas te stel. Data vir hierdie studie is van twee groepe Noord-Sotho leerders (134 in totaal) in die grondslagfase gekollekteer deur middel van sowel gestandardiseerde as selfgemaakte toetse. Groep 1 se onderrigtaal was Noord-Sotho, terwyl Groep 2 se onderrigtaal Engels was. Data is op drie punte gekollekteer (aan die begin van Graad 2, aan die einde van Graad 2 en aan einde van Graad 3). Statistiese analise van die data suggereer dat fonologiese bewussyn en snelle geoutomatiseerde benaming die beste langtermyn voorspellers is van geletterdheidsverwerwing in sowel Noord-Sotho as in Engels in hierdie populasie. Fonologiese bewussyn was ook die beste kruislinguïstiese voorspeller van geletterdheidsvaardighede. Die resultate dui verder daarop dat leerders een spesifieke linguïstiese deeltjie (naamlik die lettergreep) oorgebruik om lees in sowel Noord-Sotho as Engels te fasiliteer – dit ondanks die feit dat foneembewussyn ‘n beter voorspeller van geletterdheidsuitkomste was as lettergreepbewussyn. Leerders in albei groepe het beduidende vordering getoon in meeste van die vaardighede wat getoets is, maar die oorkoepelende resultate het nie die idee van ‘n moerdertaalonderrigvoordeel ondersteun nie. Hierdie studie beklemtoon die belang van sistematiese instruksie van fonologiese bewussyn op die foneemvlak in sowel Noord-Sotho as Engels in die grondslagfase. Die implikasie is dat die taalspesifieke fonologiese en ortografiese kenmerke van Suidelike Bantoetale in ag geneem moet word in die Suid-Afrikaanse kurrikulum en in leesmetodologieë van Afrika-tale.