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Topic

Contribution of English Oral Vocabulary Knowledge to Reading Development in Grade 1 French Immersion Students

Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies

Date & location

• Wednesday, April 16, 2025
• 1:30 P.M.
• Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Gina Harrison, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

• Dr. Branna Lawrence, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, UVic (Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Tim Anderson, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Victoria 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Loren Elizabeth McClenachan, Department of History, UVic 

Abstract

Understanding the role of oral language skills both within and across languages in supporting reading comprehension is critical. However, few studies have assessed the generalizability of the Simple View of Reading to early French Immersion using a complex measure of French listening comprehension. Additionally, most research on the cross-linguistic influence of English vocabulary knowledge on French reading development has focused on word-reading skills. The present study sought to examine how French listening comprehension, as an integral measure of oral language skills, contributes to reading development in Grade 1 French immersion students. It also examines the role of English oral vocabulary knowledge in supporting reading at both the word- and text-levels, and the mechanisms underlying cross linguistic transfer. 

A sample of 61 Grade 1 French immersion students completed a battery of standardized French measures assessing listening comprehension, word reading, pseudoword decoding, reading comprehension, as well as English receptive vocabulary. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to analyze the contribution of French listening comprehension and English vocabulary along with word reading and pseudoword decoding to French reading comprehension. 

The analyses revealed that French listening comprehension did not significantly contribute to reading comprehension, though, both word reading and pseudoword decoding were significant predictors. While English vocabulary was a significant predictor of French reading comprehension when it was alone in the model, its contribution lost significance, when French word reading or pseudoword decoding were added to the models.