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Native Language Phonological Skills in Low‐Proficiency Second Language Learners
Author(s) -
Borodkin Katy,
Faust Miriam
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
language learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.882
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1467-9922
pISSN - 0023-8333
DOI - 10.1111/lang.12032
Subject(s) - psychology , first language , pseudoword , dyslexia , language assessment , linguistics , language proficiency , phonology , second language attrition , phonological awareness , comprehension approach , reading (process) , language education , cognition , literacy , mathematics education , pedagogy , philosophy , neuroscience
This study investigated the link between low second language performance and difficulties with native language phonological processing. Participants were native Hebrew speakers, 19–31 years of age, who learned English as a second language in a school setting. Individuals with dyslexia performed below high‐proficiency second language learners on each of four tasks assessing native language phonological processing, whereas low‐proficiency second language learners were disadvantaged compared to high‐proficiency second language learners on only two of the tasks: pseudoword repetition and tip‐of‐the‐tongue naming. These results indicate that both individuals with dyslexia and low‐proficiency second language learners have a weakness in native language phonological processing. The weakness in low‐proficiency second language learners, however, is evident in a more limited set of skills compared to individuals with dyslexia.