Does Nonlinguistic Segmentation Predict Literacy in Second Language Education? Statistical Learning in Ivorian Primary Schools

Overview

Journal Lang Learn

Date 2024 Aug 5

PMID 39099580

Authors

Benjamin D Zinszer

Joelle Hannon

Aya Elise Kouadio

Hermann Akpe

Fabrice Tanoh

Anqi Hu

Zhenghan Qi

Kaja Jasinska

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Statistical learning (SL) is a learning mechanism that does not directly depend on knowledge of a language, but predicts language and literacy outcomes for children and adults. Research linking SL and literacy has not addressed children who first learn to read in their second language (L2), common in primary schools worldwide. Several studies have linked SL with childhood literacy in Australia, China, Europe, and the U.S., and we pre-registered an adaptation for Côte d'Ivoire, where students are educated in French and speak a local language at home. Recruiting 117 sixth-graders from primary schools in several villages, we tested for correlations >0.3 between SL and literacy with 80-90% power. We found no evidence for these correlations, but visual SL was correlated with L2 phonological awareness. Although this finding may suggest a role of SL in emergent L2 skills, it underscores the need to include L2 acquisition contexts in literacy research.

Citing Articles

Statistical learning and children's emergent literacy in rural Côte d'Ivoire.

Zinszer B, Hannon J, Hu A, Kouadio A, Akpe H, Tanoh F Dev Sci. 2023; 27(5):e13448.

PMID: 37743565 PMC: 10960734. DOI: 10.1111/desc.13448.

Intact procedural memory and impaired auditory statistical learning in adults with dyslexia.

Ozernov-Palchik O, Qi Z, Beach S, Gabrieli J Neuropsychologia. 2023; 188:108638.

PMID: 37516235 PMC: 10805067. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108638.

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