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Pan DJ, Meng X, Lee JR, Ng MCY, McBride C. The cognitive-linguistic profiles and academic performances of Chinese children with dyslexia across cultures: Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taipei. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2024:10.1007/s11881-024-00301-2. [PMID: 38319481 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-024-00301-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
This study examined the cognitive-linguistic and literacy-related correlates of dyslexia in three Chinese cities and the English word reading and mathematics performances of Chinese children with dyslexia. Chinese children with/without dyslexia were measured with an equivalent test battery of literacy and mathematics in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taipei. Univariate analysis results suggested that phonological sensitivity distinguished those with and without dyslexia across all three cities in group comparisons. In Taipei and Hong Kong, morphological awareness, delayed copying, and spelling also distinguished the groups. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that Chinese character reading, as directly compared to Chinese word reading, also distinguished the groups particularly well. In addition, in Beijing and Hong Kong, children with dyslexia performed significantly less well in English word reading than those without dyslexia. In Hong Kong and Taipei, children with dyslexia also had difficulties in mathematics performance. Findings highlight the fundamental importance of some cognitive-linguistic skills for explaining Chinese dyslexia across cultures, the utility of recognizing the individual Chinese character as a foundational unit of analysis in Chinese across cultures, and the generalizability of the comorbidity of both English as a second language (L2) and mathematics with dyslexia in Chinese children in both Beijing and Hong Kong.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Jue Pan
- School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiangzhi Meng
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jun Ren Lee
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Chinese Language and Technology Center, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Melody Chi Yi Ng
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Catherine McBride
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA.
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2
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Su M, Fan Y, Wu J, Qiao B, Zhou W. The influence of the literacy environment on children’s writing development in Chinese. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1010471. [PMID: 36312056 PMCID: PMC9606812 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1010471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the influence of literacy environment on the performance of writing narratives for primary school students. Two hundred and fifty Chinese children participated in this study. There were 146 third graders (71 boys and 75 girls) and 104 fifth graders (53 boys and 51 girls). Results showed that children’s writing abilities differed at the word level and sentence level between third grade and fifth grade. Formal literacy experience (parent teaching of characters) predicted the writing performance of third graders, while informal literacy experience (the visiting frequency of various places) predicted the writing performance of fifth graders. After controlling the effect of reading efficiency on the writing skills, the prediction of formal and informal literacy experiences on the writing performance remained. The results suggest the importance of formal and informal literacy experiences on the writing development of primary school students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Su
- College of Elementary Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Fan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jifeng Wu
- College of International Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bingyan Qiao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Zhou,
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3
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Lau DKY, Liang Y, Nguyen HA. Measuring Orthographic Knowledge of L2 Chinese Learners in Vietnam Using a Handwriting Task - A Preliminary Report. Front Psychol 2022; 13:784019. [PMID: 35250724 PMCID: PMC8890491 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.784019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current study, the orthographic knowledge required for writing Chinese characters was assessed among participants with L1 Vietnamese background who learn Chinese as a foreign language. A total of 42 undergraduates were recruited. They were invited to participate in a delayed Chinese character copying task consisting of 32 characters. Their Chinese character reading abilities were also obtained using a character naming task. All the tests were conducted online during the pandemic in 2021. Results indicated that the participants' accuracy in the copying task was affected by the familiarity of the characters and the number of strokes of the characters. These effects minimized as reading performance increased. In the inter-stroke interval (ISI) analysis, results indicated a significant boundary effect where ISIs between orthographic units were longer than ISIs within orthographic units, showing the participants' tendency to chunk Chinese characters into functional units when they write. Only high achievers in the reading task demonstrated the use of both large and small grain-size units in writing (i.e., radical-boundary ISI > logographeme-boundary ISI > non-boundary ISI), while the low achievers only used small grain-size units in their writing. We suggest that the delayed copying task incorporated with handwriting measures is an effective method to assess orthographic knowledge of L2 Chinese learners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Kai-Yan Lau
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yuan Liang
- Department of Chinese Language Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hoang-Anh Nguyen
- Faculty of Chinese Language and Culture, University of Languages and International Studies, VNU, Hanoi, Vietnam
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4
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Li J, Hong L, Bi HY, Yang Y. Functional brain networks underlying automatic and controlled handwriting in Chinese. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 219:104962. [PMID: 33984629 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to identify the functional brain networks underlying the distinctions between automatic and controlled handwriting in Chinese. Network-based analysis was applied to functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected while adult participants performed a copying task under automatic and speed-controlled conditions. We found significant differences between automatic and speed-controlled handwriting in functional connectivity within and between the frontoparietal network, default mode network, dorsal attention network, somatomotor network and visual network; these differences reflect the variations in general attentional control and task-relevant visuomotor operations. However, no differences in brain activation were detected between the two handwriting conditions, suggesting that the reorganization of functional networks, rather than the modulation of local brain activation, underlies the dissociations between automatic and controlled handwriting in Chinese. Our findings illustrate the brain basis of handwriting automaticity, shedding new light on how handwriting automaticity may be disrupted in individuals with neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lei Hong
- Department of Foreign Languages, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong-Yan Bi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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5
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Character and word reading in Chinese: Why and how they should be considered uniquely vis-à-vis literacy development. CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2021.101961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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6
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Wang J, Wu KC, Mo J, Wong WL, Siu TSC, McBride C, Chung KKH, Wong PCM, Maurer U. Remediation of a phonological representation deficit in Chinese children with dyslexia: A comparison between metalinguistic training and working memory training. Dev Sci 2020; 24:e13065. [PMID: 33217109 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A form-preparation task in the language production field was adopted to examine output phonological representations in Chinese dyslexia and their susceptibility to training. Forty-one Chinese children with dyslexia (7-11 years old) and 36 chronological age controls completed this task. The controls demonstrated a marginally significant syllable facilitation effect (d = -0.13), indicating their use of syllable-sized phonological representations during speech production, while the group with dyslexia showed a significantly different pattern (d = 0.04), opposite to the direction of a facilitation effect. The children with dyslexia were then randomly assigned to either metalinguistic training (N = 22) or working memory training (N = 19). Only the metalinguistic training subgroup demonstrated a significant syllable facilitation effect afterward (metalinguistic: d = -0.13; working memory: d = -0.01). The results suggest the presence of a phonological representation deficit at the syllable level in Chinese dyslexia and its possible remediation by metalinguistic training. Such a phonological deficit in readers of a logographic script strongly supports the impaired phonological representation view of developmental dyslexia. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/zT2Be0xMkh0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Ka Chun Wu
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Jianhong Mo
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Wai Leung Wong
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Tik Sze Carrey Siu
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Catherine McBride
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China.,Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Kevin Kien Hoa Chung
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China.,Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Urs Maurer
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China.,Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
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7
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Lau DKY. Orthographic and Phonological Processing in Chinese Character Copying - A Preliminary Report. Front Psychol 2020; 11:2122. [PMID: 33041883 PMCID: PMC7523426 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current study, the effects of orthographic and phonological processing in Chinese character copying were investigated using a data set extracted from a database containing handwriting data of 856 stimuli; the responses of which were collected from 100 participants. To investigate the effect of character frequency, radical frequency, and phonetic regularity, 151 phonetic compounds were selected from the database because (1) their corresponding phonetic radicals were all free-standing characters, (2) their corresponding phonetic radicals were located at either the right or the bottom positions in the characters, and (3) no more than 10% of the participants made errors when copying these target characters. The results of the linear mixed effect models revealed that after controlling for inter-stroke distance (ISD) and stroke number, the inter-stroke intervals (ISIs) at the radical and logographeme boundaries were significantly longer, indicating significant orthographic processing in the immediate copying task that radicals and logographemes were used as writing units. In addition, shorter ISIs at the logographeme boundary associated with higher radical frequency, and shorter ISIs at the radical boundary associated with higher character frequency and regular characters, were observed. These observations indicated significant orthographic and phonological effects in the immediate copying task. Finally, the significant phonetic regularity effect observed also supported the notion that phonology contributes to Chinese character writing and that the effects of central processing, including character frequency and phonetic regularity, cascade over peripheral processing during Chinese character copying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Kai-Yan Lau
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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8
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Tong SX, Zhang P, He X. Statistical Learning of Orthographic Regularities in Chinese Children With and Without Dyslexia. Child Dev 2020; 91:1953-1969. [PMID: 32762080 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
This study examined distributional statistical learning of positional, phonetic, and semantic regularities of an artificial orthography in Chinese children aged 8-10 years: 29 with dyslexia, 29 age-matched controls, and 30 reading-level matched controls. Despite having positional regularity learning performance comparable to the controls, the children with dyslexia were poorer at learning left-right structured characters than top-bottom structured characters in high- and low-consistency conditions. Moreover, they showed difficulties in mapping a given sound or meaning to a specific character compared with the typically developing controls. These findings suggest that children with dyslexia have deficits in some, though not all, aspects of statistical learning of character orthography, which may reflect their difficulties in coping with distractors and inconsistency of orthographic input.
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9
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Lee SMK, Tong X. Spelling in developmental dyslexia in Chinese: Evidence of deficits in statistical learning and over-reliance on phonology. Cogn Neuropsychol 2020; 37:494-510. [PMID: 32453619 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2020.1765754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This study employed a multi-dimensional (i.e., orthographic, phonological, and semantic) and bi-level (i.e., character and radical) approach to analyze the character writing of 120 Hong Kong Chinese children with developmental dyslexia in Grades 2-5 and 120 typically developing age-matched controls. Relative to their typically developing peers, children with dyslexia were less sensitive to the positional and functional consistencies of sublexical radicals and exhibited prolonged use of phonology at the character level as grade-level advanced. Furthermore, the children with dyslexia relatively relied more on phonology at the radical level than younger, reading level-matched children. These results indicate the effects of implicit statistical learning on the development of Chinese character writing skills and suggest that the prolonged use and overreliance on phonology in character writing by Chinese children with dyslexia may reflect their difficulties in implicit statistical learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Man Kit Lee
- Human Communication, Development, and Information Sciences, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xiuli Tong
- Human Communication, Development, and Information Sciences, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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10
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Tong X, Leung WWS, Tong X. Visual statistical learning and orthographic awareness in Chinese children with and without developmental dyslexia. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2019; 92:103443. [PMID: 31374382 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the role of visual statistical learning in reading and writing and its relationship to orthographic awareness in Hong Kong Chinese children with and without developmental dyslexia. Thirty-five 7- to 8-year-old children with developmental dyslexia and 37 chronologically age-matched controls were tested on visual statistical learning, orthographic awareness, nonverbal cognitive ability, Chinese word reading, and word dictation tasks. Visual statistical learning was assessed using a triplet learning paradigm that required children to detect the temporal order of visual stimuli. Orthographic awareness was measured with a novel character invention task that required children to create pseudocharacters using untaught stroke patterns according to the rules of Chinese character orthography. Children with dyslexia performed significantly worse than their age-matched controls on both the visual statistical learning and orthographic awareness tasks. Furthermore, visual statistical learning was significantly associated with orthographic awareness and word reading. These findings suggest that Chinese children with dyslexia are impaired in visual statistical learning and that such deficits may be related to disrupted orthographic learning abilities, thereby contributing to their reading difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhong Tong
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wincy Wing Si Leung
- Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xiuli Tong
- Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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11
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Validation of constituent logographemes and radicals in Chinese characters using handwriting data. Behav Res Methods 2019; 52:305-316. [PMID: 31089957 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-019-01227-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Studies have shown that logographemes and radicals, subcharacter units in Chinese characters, are represented in the orthographic lexicon and are functional processing units in the writing of Chinese characters. Nevertheless, there is no consensus regarding how characters should be segmented into logographemes and radicals. This article reports handwriting data for a list of 209 Chinese characters (95 nonphonetic compounds and 114 phonetic compounds) in a copying task. To validate the constituent logographemes and radicals of the target Chinese characters, comparisons among between-radical interstroke intervals (ISIs), between-logographeme ISIs, and within-logographeme ISIs, as well as their interactions with orthographic factors including character frequency, stroke number, and configuration, were conducted using factorial analyses. The results showed that the ISI comparison method is effective in validating the constituent logographemes and radicals in Chinese characters. On the basis of this list of 209 stimuli, another 1,227 Chinese characters that share the same set of radicals with the stimuli were further identified. Their constituent logographemes were deduced accordingly. Altogether, the over 1,000 Chinese characters with validated constituent logographemes will serve as a powerful reference for future psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic research. Future potential applications are discussed.
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12
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Lau DKY. Grain size units of Chinese handwriting: development and disorder. CLINICAL LINGUISTICS & PHONETICS 2019; 33:869-884. [PMID: 30939074 DOI: 10.1080/02699206.2019.1584723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The current study investigated the grain size of writing units used by children in copying Chinese characters using handwriting measures. In Experiment 1, 31 Grade 1 and 31 Grade 5 children studying in mainstream schools in Hong Kong were invited to copy 36 pseudo-characters on an Android tablet. The pseudo-characters were constructed by combining, in their legal positions, radicals that contain two logographemes. The pseudo-characters contain only high frequency radicals in one condition and only low frequency radicals in the other condition. Linear mixed effect modeling was used to analyze the significance of radical frequency, radical free-standing frequency, and logographeme frequency in predicting the inter-stroke intervals after controlling for inter-stroke distance and gestalt boundaries of radicals and logographemes. The results showed that all three frequency measures significantly predicted Grade 5 children's inter-stroke intervals while only logographeme frequency and radical free-standing frequency significantly predicted Grade 1 children's inter-stroke intervals. This indicated that older children demonstrated the use of both small and large grain size units in writing Chinese characters while younger children showed tendency to use small grain size units with the support of some large grain size units that they know in writing Chinese characters. In Experiment 2, a Grade 3 child with writing difficulties was assessed using the same task. Results showed that he demonstrated the use of only small grain size units in writing. Theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Kai-Yan Lau
- a Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies , Hong Kong Polytechnic University , Hong Kong SAR
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13
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Phonetic radicals, not phonological coding systems, support orthographic learning via self-teaching in Chinese. Cognition 2018; 176:184-194. [PMID: 29573645 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2018.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
According to the self-teaching hypothesis (Share, 1995), phonological decoding is fundamental to acquiring orthographic representations of novel written words. However, phonological decoding is not straightforward in non-alphabetic scripts such as Chinese, where words are presented as characters. Here, we present the first study investigating the role of phonological decoding in orthographic learning in Chinese. We examined two possible types of phonological decoding: the use of phonetic radicals, an internal phonological aid, andthe use of Zhuyin, an external phonological coding system. Seventy-three Grade 2 children were taught the pronunciations and meanings of twelve novel compound characters over four days. They were then exposed to the written characters in short stories, and were assessed on their reading accuracy and on their subsequent orthographic learning via orthographic choice and spelling tasks. The novel characters were assigned three different types of pronunciation in relation to its phonetic radical - (1) a pronunciation that is identical to the phonetic radical in isolation; (2) a common alternative pronunciation associated with the phonetic radical when it appears in other characters; and (3) a pronunciation that is unrelated to the phonetic radical. The presence of Zhuyin was also manipulated. The children read the novel characters more accurately when phonological cues from the phonetic radicals were available and in the presence of Zhuyin. However, only the phonetic radicals facilitated orthographic learning. The findings provide the first empirical evidence of orthographic learning via self-teaching in Chinese, and reveal how phonological decoding functions to support learning in non-alphabetic writing systems.
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14
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Luo C, Chen W, Zhang Y. The Inversion Effect for Chinese Characters is Modulated by Radical Organization. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2017; 46:791-803. [PMID: 28349366 PMCID: PMC5429911 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-017-9484-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In studies of visual object recognition, strong inversion effects accompany the acquisition of expertise and imply the involvement of configural processing. Chinese literacy results in sensitivity to the orthography of Chinese characters. While there is some evidence that this orthographic sensitivity results in an inversion effect, and thus involves configural processing, that processing might depend on exact orthographic properties. Chinese character recognition is believed to involve a hierarchical process, involving at least two lower levels of representation: strokes and radicals. Radicals are grouped into characters according to certain types of structure, i.e. left-right structure, top-bottom structure, or simple characters with only one radical by itself. These types of radical structures vary in both familiarity, and in hierarchical level (compound versus simple characters). In this study, we investigate whether the hierarchical-level or familiarity of radical-structure has an impact on the magnitude of the inversion effect. Participants were asked to do a matching task on pairs of either upright or inverted characters with all the types of structure. Inversion effects were measured based on both reaction time and response sensitivity. While an inversion effect was observed in all 3 conditions, the magnitude of the inversion effect varied with radical structure, being significantly larger for the most familiar type of structure: characters consisting of 2 radicals organized from left to right. These findings indicate that character recognition involves extraction of configural structure as well as radical processing which play different roles in the processing of compound characters and simple characters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canhuang Luo
- Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, No.2318, Yuhangtang Rd, Cangqian, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ye Zhang
- Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, No.2318, Yuhangtang Rd, Cangqian, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang, China.
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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15
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Yuen KCP. Training a new generation of speech-language pathologists with competences in the management of literacy disorders and learning disabilities in Hong Kong. Folia Phoniatr Logop 2014; 66:197-205. [PMID: 25790926 DOI: 10.1159/000368079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the recent developments in the education of speech-language pathology is to include literacy disorders and learning disabilities as key training components in the training curriculum. Disorders in reading and writing are interwoven with disorders in speaking and listening, which should be managed holistically, particularly in children and adolescents. With extensive training in clinical linguistics, language disorders, and other theoretical knowledge and clinical skills, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are the best equipped and most competent professionals to screen, identify, diagnose, and manage individuals with literacy disorders. To tackle the challenges of and the huge demand for services in literacy as well as language and learning disorders, the Hong Kong Institute of Education has recently developed the Master of Science Programme in Educational Speech-Language Pathology and Learning Disabilities, which is one of the very first speech-language pathology training programmes in Asia to blend training components of learning disabilities, literacy disorders, and social-emotional-behavioural-developmental disabilities into a developmentally and medically oriented speech-language pathology training programme. This new training programme aims to prepare a new generation of SLPs to be able to offer comprehensive support to individuals with speech, language, literacy, learning, communication, and swallowing disorders of different developmental or neurogenic origins, particularly to infants and adolescents as well as to their family and educational team.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C P Yuen
- Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong, SAR, China
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16
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Cheng-Lai A, Li-Tsang CWP, Chan AHL, Lo AGW. Writing to dictation and handwriting performance among Chinese children with dyslexia: relationships with orthographic knowledge and perceptual-motor skills. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2013; 34:3372-3383. [PMID: 23911643 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Revised: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between writing to dictation, handwriting, orthographic, and perceptual-motor skills among Chinese children with dyslexia. A cross-sectional design was used. A total of 45 third graders with dyslexia were assessed. Results of stepwise multiple regression models showed that Chinese character naming was the only predictor associated with word dictation (β=.32); handwriting speed was related to deficits in rapid automatic naming (β=-.36) and saccadic efficiency (β=-.29), and visual-motor integration predicted both of the number of characters exceeded grid (β=-.41) and variability of character size (β=-.38). The findings provided support to a multi-stage working memory model of writing for explaining the possible underlying mechanism of writing to dictation and handwriting difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Cheng-Lai
- Manulife Center for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities, Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China; The Joint PekingU-PolyU Center for Child Development and Learning, Hong Kong, China
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Guan CQ, Ye F, Wagner RK, Meng W. Developmental and Individual Differences in Chinese Writing. READING AND WRITING 2013; 26:1031-1056. [PMID: 26038631 PMCID: PMC4450100 DOI: 10.1007/s11145-012-9405-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The goal of the present study was to examine the generalizability of a model of the underlying dimensions of written composition across writing systems (Chinese Mandarin vs. English) and level of writing skill. A five-factor model of writing originally developed from analyses of 1st and 4th grade English writing samples was applied to Chinese writing samples obtained from 4th and 7th grade students. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare the fits of alternative models of written composition. The results suggest that the five-factor model of written composition generalizes to Chinese writing samples and applies to both less skilled (Grade 4) and more skilled (Grade 7) writing, with differences in factor means between grades that vary in magnitude across factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie Qun Guan
- University of Science and Technology Beijing, University of Pittsburgh, Florida State University, Florida Center for Reading Research
| | - Feifei Ye
- University of Science and Technology Beijing, University of Pittsburgh, Florida State University, Florida Center for Reading Research
| | - Richard K Wagner
- University of Science and Technology Beijing, University of Pittsburgh, Florida State University, Florida Center for Reading Research
| | - Wanjin Meng
- University of Science and Technology Beijing, University of Pittsburgh, Florida State University, Florida Center for Reading Research
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Cheung KY, Leung MT, McPherson B. Reading strategies of Chinese students with severe to profound hearing loss. JOURNAL OF DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION 2013; 18:312-328. [PMID: 23476071 DOI: 10.1093/deafed/ent013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigated the significance of auditory discrimination and the use of phonological and orthographic codes during the course of reading development in Chinese students who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). In this study, the reading behaviors of D/HH students in 2 tasks-a task on auditory perception of onset rime and a synonym decision task-were compared with those of their chronological age-matched and reading level (RL)-matched controls. Cross-group comparison of the performances of participants in the task on auditory perception suggests that poor auditory discrimination ability may be a possible cause of reading problems for D/HH students. In addition, results of the synonym decision task reveal that D/HH students with poor reading ability demonstrate a significantly greater preference for orthographic rather than phonological information, when compared with the D/HH students with good reading ability and their RL-matched controls. Implications for future studies and educational planning are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Yan Cheung
- Centre for Communication Disorders, Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, 5/F Prince Philip Dental Hospital, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong.
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