Manchester Metropolitan Manchester Metropolitan UniversityUniversity

Paper presented at the Paper presented at the

66thth European 2006 CPLOL European 2006 CPLOL CongressCongress

1515thth to 17 to 17thth September 2006 September 2006

Berlin Berlin

Ann FrenchAnn French

a.french@mmu.ac.uka.french@mmu.ac.uk

MEASURING MEASURING PHONOLOGICAL PHONOLOGICAL

SKILLS IN SKILLS IN ADOLESCENCEADOLESCENCE

BackgroundBackground Referrals of junior and secondary age Referrals of junior and secondary age

children with language and communication children with language and communication impairments attending mainstream schoolsimpairments attending mainstream schools

Evidence that early language and Evidence that early language and communication problems may not resolve communication problems may not resolve

Lack of secondary school SLT provision in Lack of secondary school SLT provision in UK UK

Lack of knowledge about the nature and Lack of knowledge about the nature and extent of difficulties secondary students extent of difficulties secondary students may encountermay encounter

Lack of suitable assessmentsLack of suitable assessments

By 11 yrs most children appear to have well By 11 yrs most children appear to have well developeddeveloped

pronunciation and literacy skills, so is phonologicalpronunciation and literacy skills, so is phonological

development complete?development complete?

Recent research suggests during adolescence there Recent research suggests during adolescence there isis

ongoing development of:ongoing development of: Phonological perceptionPhonological perception11

Phonological productionPhonological production22 Phonological awarenessPhonological awareness33

Additionally, word learning and phonological Additionally, word learning and phonological memorymemory

demands continue throughout life.demands continue throughout life.

Phonological skills required Phonological skills required by the secondary by the secondary

curriculumcurriculum Reading and spelling (moving into orthographic Reading and spelling (moving into orthographic

stage of literacy)stage of literacy) Specialist vocabulary (all subjects)Specialist vocabulary (all subjects) Learning spoken/written words in new languagesLearning spoken/written words in new languages Literary concepts e.g. alliteration and rhyme Literary concepts e.g. alliteration and rhyme

(English)(English) Puns and other jokes (literacy, social Puns and other jokes (literacy, social

communication)communication) Role of accents in communication (English, social Role of accents in communication (English, social

communication)communication) New writing styles e.g. text messaging (social New writing styles e.g. text messaging (social

communication)communication) Rote learning (many areas of the curriculum)Rote learning (many areas of the curriculum)

MethodologyMethodology

A correlational designA correlational design

Hypothesis 1Hypothesis 1Performance on phonological tasks will Performance on phonological tasks will

correlate with: correlate with: (i)(i) Receptive word knowledgeReceptive word knowledge44 (ii)(ii) Available phonological working memory Available phonological working memory

(PWM) and functional working memory (PWM) and functional working memory (FWM) space(FWM) space55

(iii)(iii) Attention controlAttention control66

Hypothesis 2Hypothesis 2Performance on phonological tasks will be Performance on phonological tasks will be

predicted by predicted by (i)(i) Early hearing, speech and literacy Early hearing, speech and literacy

developmentdevelopment77 (ii)(ii) Family history of speech/literacy difficultyFamily history of speech/literacy difficulty88 (iii)(iii) SESSES99

Hypothesis 3Hypothesis 3Performance on phonological tasks will correlate Performance on phonological tasks will correlate

withwithAcademic ability/achievement scoresAcademic ability/achievement scores1010

Method: ParticipantsMethod: Participants

Year 7 students, aged 11;6-12;0 (+) Year 7 students, aged 11;6-12;0 (+) randomly selected from a randomly selected from a mainstream comprehensive schoolmainstream comprehensive school

Pilot study: 11 students (2006) Pilot study: 11 students (2006) Main study: 2 cohorts of 45-50 Main study: 2 cohorts of 45-50

students students (Phase I 2005-6(Phase I 2005-6; Phase II ; Phase II 2006-7)2006-7)

Method: ProceduresMethod: Procedures

1. Questionnaires completed by 1. Questionnaires completed by parents/guardiansparents/guardians::

Student’s early hearing, language Student’s early hearing, language and literacy development and literacy development

Family incidence of language and/or Family incidence of language and/or literacy impairmentsliteracy impairments

SES indicators (parent SES indicators (parent employment/education)employment/education)

2. Assessment tasks:2. Assessment tasks:

(i) New tests developed during pilot(i) New tests developed during pilot Receptive semantic/phonological word Receptive semantic/phonological word

knowledgeknowledge Phonological awareness: Phonological awareness:

Rhyme judgement Rhyme judgement {A = Low FWM {A = Low FWM loadload

Spoonerism productionSpoonerism production {B = High FWM {B = High FWM loadload

Word production: Word production:

Real word repetitionReal word repetition

Nonword repetitionNonword repetition

Tongue twistersTongue twisters

(ii) Published tests(ii) Published tests PWM (Phonological Loop) and FWMPWM (Phonological Loop) and FWM Attention controlAttention control

3.3. Academic data supplied by school:Academic data supplied by school: End of Year 6 Standard Achievement End of Year 6 Standard Achievement

scores in English, Maths and Sciencescores in English, Maths and Science Early Year 7 Cognitive Abilities scores Early Year 7 Cognitive Abilities scores

in Verbal, Nonverbal and Numerical in Verbal, Nonverbal and Numerical ReasoningReasoning

End of Year 7 subject marks for End of Year 7 subject marks for English, Maths, Science, and Modern English, Maths, Science, and Modern Foreign Languages (MFLs) Foreign Languages (MFLs)

Phase I ResultsPhase I ResultsUsing Spearman’s rho as data may not be normally Using Spearman’s rho as data may not be normally

distributeddistributedReporting only 0.01 level; 2-tailedReporting only 0.01 level; 2-tailed

Hypothesis 1Hypothesis 11. Significant correlations between phonological task 1. Significant correlations between phonological task

performance and Receptive Word Knowledge:performance and Receptive Word Knowledge: Rhyme BRhyme B Spoonerism A & BSpoonerism A & B 2. Significant correlations between phonological task 2. Significant correlations between phonological task

performance and PWM:performance and PWM: Rhyme BRhyme B Spoonerism A & BSpoonerism A & B

3. Significant correlations between phonological 3. Significant correlations between phonological task performance and FWMtask performance and FWM

Rhyme BRhyme B Spoonerism A & BSpoonerism A & B Receptive Word KnowledgeReceptive Word Knowledge

4.4. Significant correlations between phonological Significant correlations between phonological task performance and attention control:task performance and attention control:

Spoonerism A & B (Selective Attention)Spoonerism A & B (Selective Attention) Spoonerism B (Sustained Attention)Spoonerism B (Sustained Attention) Spoonerism B and Tongue Twisters (Switched Spoonerism B and Tongue Twisters (Switched

Attention)Attention)

Hypothesis 2Hypothesis 2

1. Significant correlations between phonological task 1. Significant correlations between phonological task performance and early hearing, speech and literacy performance and early hearing, speech and literacy development:development:

Rhyme B, Nonword Repetition, Spoonerism A & B, Rhyme B, Nonword Repetition, Spoonerism A & B, Receptive Word Knowledge (Reading and Spelling)Receptive Word Knowledge (Reading and Spelling)

Nonword Repetition, Spoonerism B (Talking)Nonword Repetition, Spoonerism B (Talking)

2. Significant correlations between phonological task 2. Significant correlations between phonological task performance and family history of speech/literacy performance and family history of speech/literacy difficulty:difficulty:

NoneNone

3. Significant correlations between phonological task 3. Significant correlations between phonological task performance and SES:performance and SES:

Rhyme A (Parent Education)Rhyme A (Parent Education) Rhyme B (Parent Employment)Rhyme B (Parent Employment)

Hypothesis 3Hypothesis 3

Significant correlations between phonological task Significant correlations between phonological task performance and academic performance and academic ability/achievement scoresability/achievement scores

Spoonerism A & B (All scores)Spoonerism A & B (All scores) Rhyme B (All scores except Year 7 Maths)Rhyme B (All scores except Year 7 Maths) Nonword Repetition (Year 6 & 7 English, Nonword Repetition (Year 6 & 7 English,

Verbal Reasoning, Year 7 MFLs)Verbal Reasoning, Year 7 MFLs) Tongue Twister (Year 6 & 7 English, Year 7 Tongue Twister (Year 6 & 7 English, Year 7

MFLs)MFLs) Receptive Word Knowledge (All scores except Receptive Word Knowledge (All scores except

Nonverbal reasoning, Year 7 English & Maths)Nonverbal reasoning, Year 7 English & Maths)

Tentative conclusions from Tentative conclusions from Phase IPhase I

Performance on phonological awareness tasks Performance on phonological awareness tasks (Rhyme B, Spoonerism A & B) correlates (Rhyme B, Spoonerism A & B) correlates significantly with receptive word knowledge, significantly with receptive word knowledge, PWM, FWM, attention, a history of reading PWM, FWM, attention, a history of reading and spelling difficulty, and with academic and spelling difficulty, and with academic ability/achievement across the curriculumability/achievement across the curriculum

This may reflect the memory/attention This may reflect the memory/attention demands of these tasks, with improved demands of these tasks, with improved performance supported by greater word performance supported by greater word knowledge and literacyknowledge and literacy

Performance on production tasks Performance on production tasks (Nonword Repetition, Spoonerism B, (Nonword Repetition, Spoonerism B, Tongue Twisters) correlates Tongue Twisters) correlates significantly with a history of talking significantly with a history of talking difficulty and with scores in English difficulty and with scores in English and MFLsand MFLs

This may reflect motor planning This may reflect motor planning demandsdemands

Performance on phonological tasks Performance on phonological tasks does not correlate significantly with does not correlate significantly with a history of ear infections/hearing a history of ear infections/hearing loss, family history of speech or loss, family history of speech or literacy difficulty, or SES literacy difficulty, or SES

By age 11 these factors appear to be By age 11 these factors appear to be less significant for phonological less significant for phonological abilityability

And so…And so… Phonology is a key element of word learningPhonology is a key element of word learning Word learning underpins verbal memory Word learning underpins verbal memory

performanceperformance Verbal memory is crucial to academic Verbal memory is crucial to academic

learninglearning Facilitating phonological learning may Facilitating phonological learning may

increase academic achievement for many increase academic achievement for many studentsstudents

Some students may benefit from additional Some students may benefit from additional practice in acquiring spoken forms for new practice in acquiring spoken forms for new wordswords

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