ABSTRACT

English is the most common language in the world. Many people across the world attempt to learn English in order to further their education and secure occupational opportunities. English (and any other language for that matter) is comprised of three dimensions: reading, writing, and speaking. Which part is the most important? Which part should a new student of English learn first? There is no definite answer, and people’s experiences may differ. However, reading does play a major role in the development of key linguistic skills such as writing and speaking. Reading is a core part of learning any language. In order to become fluent in any language, it is imperative that one is able to read fluently in that particular language. This paper will focus on the effect of reading on learning English as a second language. Learning to read English is a very efficient method of improving speaking and writing skills. Reading is a crucial skill that enables an individual to further develop other linguistic skills. With the incorporation of incrementally difficult levels of reading, students learning English can learn more efficiently and do well in other subjects as well. This further translates to better grades in other subjects. Although reading may help students to develop thoughtful, grammatically correct jargon, it may not be enough for them to fully assimilate and achieve the accent of a native speaker.

Learning to read English can translate to improved speaking and writing skills. In a study conducted by a team of researchers in 2014, evidence was discovered that suggested that reading in English can result to children (especially in the earlier stages of education) developing a better grasp of the language as they read more. The researchers looked at a group of 150 Hispanic first graders in southern California and measured their reading skills (Oral Reading Fluency) and predicted the children’s overall English scores at the end of second grade. It is important to note that these children were not native English speakers, but rather, they were native Spanish speakers.  The research uncovered some more surprising information.  For example, it demonstrated that children with a higher reading score were more likely to have higher scores in “phonological awareness, letter knowledge, vocabulary, word reading, and oral reading fluency” (Solari, Emily J., et al.) This a perfect example of reading in the development of various other linguistic skills that are important in civil discourse and higher levels of education. Another study conducted by researchers from Ghana found that children who read more were more likely to achieve higher academic scores across the board. “The study confirmed that reading habit has influence on academic performance and there is a relationship between reading habit and academic performance.” (Owusu-Acheaw, M, and Agatha Larson) And finally, a study conducted in a high school in Ghana showcases that students who were academically strong correlated their grades to their time spent reading. “The study discovered that 45.19% of the respondents recognized the importance of reading and indicated that reading helps them to broaden their knowledge. The majority of the respondents admitted that they spent 2-3 (47.12%) hours on reading than any other activities. The study also reported that majority of the respondents did indicate that reading habits have an effect on them and stressed that reading has supported their studies.” (Ameyaw, Samuel Kwame, and Sylvester Kwabena Anto.) In conclusion, these research studies displayed the effect of reading on developing linguistic skills that are at the center of becoming a better student.

            Although reading may help students become better readers, writers, and speakers, it cannot explain why many fluent English speakers have an accent or a dialect that they incorporate into their speech. Accents or dialects should never be considered as lack of English mastery. This is the focal point of Lippi Green’s novel The Sound House. It highlights the journey of an individual from birth and how they develop their unique accent. She compares the development of speech to building a “sound house.” At the earliest stage of speech development, the individual tends to mimic the Sound Houses of the people around them. “At birth the child is in the Sound House warehouse, where a full inventory of all possible materials is available to her. She looks at the Sound Houses built by her parents, her brothers and sisters, by other people around her, and she starts to pick out those materials, those bricks she sees they have used to build their Sound Houses.” (Lippi-Green) As the person grows up, they incorporate various details from other people’s Sound Houses into one. Many people mock the person because it does not have all the parts of an “English Sound House” or a “Spanish Sound House.” “She works very, very hard on this extension. But no matter how hard she works, the balcony will not shape up; it is always rickety. There’s a gap in the floor boards; people notice it and grin.” (Lippi-Green) She states that some people have different influences which make their Sound Houses similar but never perfect like the ideal Sound House of a native speaker. The analogy of the Sound House employed by Lippi-Green seeks to help readers understand how people develop linguistic skills as they age. Reading can result in better speech and writing but it is important to note that a person simply cannot “forget” or “ignore” their cultural influences on their English. Walt Wolfram does a great job of portraying this idea in his article “Everyone Has an Accent.” In the article, Wolfram highlights that English is not a perfect language. He does this by pointing out flaws in iconic works of literature. “Most people are unaware that a few centuries ago, the pronunciation of ask as ax was perfectly acceptable among the socially elite classes of England. And early masters of English literature, including Chaucer, routinely used the “double negative” — as in They didn’t go nowhere — without any fear of sounding illogical or conveying unintended meanings. Contrary to the common belief that standards of language are fixed forever, they respond, like any other aspect of culture, to the dynamics of social change.” (Wolfram, Walt.) He goes on to highlight the cultural aspects of certain dialects and their importance in the sense of the uniqueness of the individual. “Students begin to grasp the inner workings of dialects most effectively when they get a chance to observe and analyze their own speech patterns alongside those of others. Urban African American children revel in the patterning of Appalachian forms while learning about the use of be in their own dialect. At the same time, students in isolated Southeastern coastal communities learn new respect for the use of be in urban African American English while learning about their own use of weren’t for wasn’t, as in I weren’t there or She weren’t ready.” (Wolfram, Walt.) He proposed that programs that educate children and teachers on the importance and cultural aspects behind an individual’s dialect is key to helping them to develop a better perspective of the world we live in. In conclusion, reading can improve a person’s linguistic skills, but it is important to keep in mind that cultural influences will penetrate through in various aspects of the person’s speech and writing. This should not be considered as ignorance or wrong in any way. Instead, it should be understood and recognized as the individual’s unique way of incorporating their culture onto a new language. In conclusion, reading is the key to developing linguistic skills such as writing and speaking. This can be seen in the various studies that were presented earlier in this paper. Increased reading can be associated with an overall gain in linguistic skills as well as an increase in academic achievement. However, it is important to note that many people may demonstrate unique cultural characteristics in their English. This is not wrong or ignorant in any way. The individual is expressing the various aspects of their culture through their speech. Lippi-Green and Walt Wolfram demonstrate this idea beautifully in their work. In retrospect, reading can be linked to the development of various linguistic skills that are vital to doing well in school and communicating with others.

Works Cited

Solari, Emily J., et al. “LONGITUDINAL PREDICTION OF 1ST AND 2ND GRADE ENGLISH ORAL READING FLUENCY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: WHICH EARLY READING AND LANGUAGE SKILLS ARE BETTER PREDICTORS?” Psychology in the Schools, vol. 51, no. 2, 2014, pp. 126–142.

Owusu-Acheaw, M, and Agatha Larson. “Reading Habits Among Students and Its Effect on Academic Performance: A Study of Students of Koforidua Polytechnic.” Library Philosophy and Practice, 2014, pp. 0_1-22.

Ameyaw, Samuel Kwame, and Sylvester Kwabena Anto. “READ OR PERISH: READING HABIT AMONG STUDENTS AND ITS EFFECT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF EASTBANK SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL-ACCRA.” Library Philosophy and Practice, 2018, pp. Library Philosophy and Practice, 2018.

Wolfram, Walt. “Everyone Has an Accent.” Teaching Tolerance, www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2000/everyone-has-an-accent.

Elizabeth Laurence. “English with an Accent: Language, Ideology, and Discrimination in the United States.” Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, vol. 15, no. 2, 2014, pp. 310–311.