The Relation Of Writing To Spoken Language

This volume grew out of the workshop Writing Language, held at the Max Planck Institute, Nijmegen. The papers represent several lines of research into the intricate relation between writing and spoken language: Theoretical and computational linguists discuss the models that explain why orthographies are the way they are and the constraints that hold between writing and speaking a language; researchers in special education deal with the question of how certain aspects of orthography can be learned; and psycholinguists discuss aspects of language processing affected by variation in orthographies.

The 13 chapters in this volume explore what is known and what still needs to be learned about the complex relationships between speaking and writing. The first chapter in the book provides a detailed overview of linguistic studies of oral and written language relationships. The next three chapters focus on the relationships between children's oral and written language skills and what these relationships imply about the teaching of writing and reading. Chapters five and six consider oral and written language in a societal context, while chapters seven, eight, and nine are concerned with methodological issues in the study of speaking-writing relationships, each suggesting a way to broaden the understanding of these relationships. The next two chapters broaden the understanding of oral-written relationships by considering two special groups of individuals who often struggle to learn English--speakers of other languages and the profoundly deaf. The final two chapters focus on pedagogy, such as integrating speaking and writing in a business communications course. (RL)

This multidisciplinary volume offers insights on oral and written language development and how it takes place in literate societies. The volume covers topics from early to late language development, its interaction with literacy practices, including several languages, monolingual and multilingual contexts, different scripts, as well as typical and atypical development. Inspired by the work of Liliana Tolchinsky, a leading expert in language and literacy development, a group of internationally renowned scholars offers a state-of-the-art overview of current thinking in language development in literate societies in its broadest sense. Contributors offer a personal tribute to Liliana Tolchinsky in the opening section.

Linguists routinely emphasise the primacy of speech over writing. Yet, most linguists have analysed spoken language, as well as language in general, applying theories and methods that are best suited for written language. Accordingly, there is an extensive 'written language bias' in traditional and present day linguistics and other language sciences. In this book, this point is argued with rich and convincing evidence from virtually all fields of linguistics.

"The Handbook of Reading Research is the research handbook for the field. Each volume has come to define the field for the period of time it covers ... When taken as a set, the four volumes provide a definitive history of reading research"--Back of cover, volume 4.

A high level of literacy in both print and digital media is required for negotiating most aspects of 21st-century life, including supporting a family, education, health, civic participation, and competitiveness in the global economy. Yet, more than 90 million U.S. adults lack adequate literacy. Furthermore, only 38 percent of U.S. 12th graders are at or above proficient in reading. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction synthesizes the research on literacy and learning to improve literacy instruction in the United States and to recommend a more systemic approach to research, practice, and policy. The book focuses on individuals ages 16 and older who are not in K-12 education. It identifies factors that affect literacy development in adolescence and adulthood in general, and examines their implications for strengthening literacy instruction for this population. It also discusses technologies for learning that can assist with multiple aspects of teaching, assessment,and accommodations for learning. There is inadequate knowledge about effective instructional practices and a need for better assessment and ongoing monitoring of adult students' proficiencies, weaknesses, instructional environments, and progress, which might guide instructional planning. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction recommends a program of research and innovation to validate, identify the boundaries of, and extend current knowledge to improve instruction for adults and adolescents outside school. The book is a valuable resource for curriculum developers, federal agencies such as the Department of Education, administrators, educators, and funding agencies.