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Spelling with a developmental language disorder: predictors, strategies and error patterns in French- and English-speaking students at the end of primary school

Joye, Nelly; (2019) Spelling with a developmental language disorder: predictors, strategies and error patterns in French- and English-speaking students at the end of primary school. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) affects the development of phonological, semantic, morphological and syntactic aspects of language, putting children with DLD at risk of spelling difficulties. Despite a growing literature on the literacy outcomes of children with DLD, spelling difficulties in children with DLD and their underlying mechanisms are still under-researched. Furthermore, research in this population has largely focused on word-level spelling skills, on English spelling and on children who are in the early stages of learning to spell. In the present study, the spelling skills of 17 English children with DLD in grades 3-6 were compared to those of 17 children matched on chronological age (CA), and 17 children matched on spelling ability (SA). Likewise, 17 French children with DLD in grades 3-5 were compared to 17 CA and SA peers. The two language groups were also compared overall. Spelling was measured using a task of word dictation and a task of text production. The spelling errors and strategies of children with DLD were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively to identify potential markers of languages difficulties in their spelling. Another aim of the study was to characterise the skills underpinning spelling in these two languages. This was assessed using correlation and regression analyses between spelling skills and proximal measures, within and across languages. Results point to differences in the rate and type of errors across languages and ability groups. Strategy analysis further supported the hypothesis of differentiated spelling strategies in French and English and ascertained that children with DLD have difficulties using more elaborate and efficient spelling strategies. Predictor analysis revealed that underlying processes may be similar across languages, despite differences in the linguistic units being processed. The results are discussed with regards to current theories of spelling development and spelling markers of DLD across languages in late primary school.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D
Title: Spelling with a developmental language disorder: predictors, strategies and error patterns in French- and English-speaking students at the end of primary school
Event: UCL
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © The Author 2019. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10072027
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