Spelling Development in Alphabetic Writing Systems: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective

Abstract

This paper reviews issues and early findings in the cross-linguistic study of alphabetic spelling development. The primary focus is on the effects that differences in orthographic consistency might have on the process of learning to spell across alphabetic writing systems. General characteristics of alphabetic writing systems are summarized, and various indicators of orthographic consistency are discussed for one consistent (Czech) and two inconsistent (English, French) orthographies. Then, against a model of spelling development in English, the results of several studies of spelling development in relatively more consistent orthographies are considered. Together, the current findings suggest that the core component skills underlying spelling development, namely, phonological awareness and letter knowledge, are similar across alphabetic languages. However, the degree of consistency of an orthography seems to play an important mediating role in determining the rate of learning to spell. The extent to which consistency interacts with the processes underlying spelling development cannot yet be determined, however current data suggest that the early learning process is fundamentally similar across alphabetic orthographies.

The Malay Lexicon Project: A database of lexical statistics for 9,592 words

“…Similarly, as part of a crosslinguistic study of lexical variables that might influence spelling development in alphabetic orthographies, Caravolas (2004) compared English, French, and Czech. She found that learning to spell was less demanding in Czech than in French and less demanding in French than in English.…”

De la lecture à la production verbale écrite, et réciproquement

“…Ultérieurement, l'apprentissage de l'orthographe conventionnelle dépend des performances en lecture et en transcription phonographique. En résu-mé, initialement, l'orthographe phonologique (préconventionnelle) pilote le développement de la lecture, laquelle impulse ensuite les progrès en orthographe conventionnelle (Caravolas, 2004;Caravolas, Hulme et Snowling, 2001) Au cours de cette phase, les corrélations entre les deux activités sont très élevées, traduisant la mobilisation probable de représentations et de procédures communes.…”

Actes du Symposium international sur la litéracie à l’école = International Symposium for Educational Literacy (SILE/ISEL)

“…Ultérieurement, l'apprentissage de l'orthographe conventionnelle dépend des performances en lecture et en transcription phonographique. En résu-mé, initialement, l'orthographe phonologique (préconventionnelle) pilote le développement de la lecture, laquelle impulse ensuite les progrès en orthographe conventionnelle (Caravolas, 2004;) Au cours de cette phase, les corrélations entre les deux activités sont très élevées, traduisant la mobilisation probable de représentations et de procédures communes.…”