Journal article
Insights into reading processes through investigating diversity
Australian journal of psychology, Vol.69(3), pp.151-161
01/09/2017
Metrics
22 Record Views
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites
Abstract
The general goal of reading is to obtain meaning from what is written on the page or screen. The numerous scripts around the world used to write different languages vary in terms of what aspects of language are encoded in the written form. The aim of the current review is to examine some recent research on lesser-studied orthographies, in particular Thai, to illustrate the benefits of comparative studies in building a greater understanding of what processes are common or distinct when reading diverse writing systems. Three areas of reading are focused on where there is substantial variation across orthographies: (1) reading with and without interword spaces, (2) flexibility in letter position coding and initial letter position advantage, and (3) the role of lexical tone when reading. In order to effectively read a script, readers need to attend to the critical features of the script that interface with the particular language of the speaker. For example, in scripts with interword spaces, these salient visual cues form clear word boundaries, whereas in unspaced scripts other orthography-specific cues need to be identified and utilised. Furthermore, comparative research shows that letter position encoding varies across languages, which is shaped by the characteristics of the orthography. Finally, research on Thai and Chinese indicates that tone takes a secondary role in comparison to segmental information (consonantal and vowel information) and appears to be processed at a later stage.
Details
- Title
- Insights into reading processes through investigating diversity
- Creators
- Heather Winskel - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Australian journal of psychology, Vol.69(3), pp.151-161
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Identifiers
- 991012927066802368
- Academic Unit
- Human Sciences; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article