Increasing Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition in Bilingual Emergent Readers
Through Oral Reading Activities
Ana Schwartz
Department of Psychology
500 West University Ave.
University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX 79902
Phone: 915-747-7365
E-mail: aischwartz@utep.edu

Introduction
The goal of the present study was to investigate the impact that oral reading activities have on the development of second language (L2) emergent readers. There is a large body or research demonstrating reading activities such as storybook and picture-book interactions have long-term effects on pre-readers’ vocabulary development in both the native language (L1) and the L2 (Aram & Biron, 2004; Coyne, Simmons, Kame'enui, &
Stoolmiller, 2004; Greene Brabham & Lynch-Brown, 2002; Wood, 2002).Indeed, storybook reading sessions are a frequent and typical part of the preschool and kindergarten day and teachers have a choice of storybook formats from which to choose.
For example, storybooks differ in their format; some follow a prose style and are structured around the unfolding of events; others follow a verse structure and may focus more on the repetition of sounds, rhythm and rhyme.
The present study examined whether different storybook styles (e.g., prose versus verse) had differential effects on the second language acquisition and use of vocabulary words in pre-readers. Furthermore, the study examined how effects of format interacted with different types of L2 vocabulary; familiar words versus novel words.
Method
Participants
Data was collected from four pre-K classrooms in the El Paso Independent School district. Students ranged in age from 4 to 5 years and 95% were native Spanish speakers.
Instruction in all classrooms was carried out in both English and Spanish and the teachers reported using a bilingual approach in all classes.
Materials
Text materials
The primary investigator composed four texts (two based on a prose format and the other two based on a verse format). Two of the texts centered on a target word that was already familiar to the children (e.g., “moon”). Two other texts centered on a target word that was only recently learned (e.g., “seal”). Target words were repeated 4 times in each text. In the verse format texts the target word was always rhymed with another word and presented at the end of a line of verse.
Picture panel arrays
Colored pictures were printed and laminated for presentation to the students. The target word was included amongst the array of pictures. Another picture depicted a word mentioned in the text that was not the target word. Six additional filler pictures were also included in the array. All pictures were approximately the same size.

Procedure
Experimenters collected data during the regular, classroom day. The primary investigator
(PI) greeted the class and then read one of two, short stories (prose or rhythmic) out loud, to the entire class, in English. After the story was complete the primary investigator left the classroom. Two research assistants immediately started individual testing sessions with each child participant. The research assistant (RA) would approach the child and ask whether she/he wanted to look at some pictures. If the child agreed the child and the RA sat in a quiet corner of the room. The RA initiated an audio recording and then showed a picture panel array to the child while asking, “What do you see here?” The child was prompted to point to and name pictures. If no response was given initially, the RA would repeat the question, once in English, and then again in Spanish. Each individual session took about 2 minutes. The RA tabulated and marked which pictures were named, the order in which they were named, and the language in which they were named. If the child named the picture accurately, but using a different label, the RA noted this as well.
Results/Discussion
Preliminary analyses revealed a trend indicating that text format does have an impact on whether a second language (L2) word will be acquired and/or spontaneously used by emergent readers after a single exposure to a storybook reading session. More specifically, when the target word was a familiar word, students tended to spontaneously use that word (point to it more often and earlier) when it was presented in a rhythmic structure than a prose structure. On the other hand, when the target word was a newlyacquired word, students were not more likely to accurately name it relative to when they had heard the word in a prose format. However, it should be noted that there was a greater tendency to attempt to name the picture of the target (students pointed to the picture more readily) in the verse format condition, but their accuracy was low (calling the “seal” a “dolphin”).
These findings suggest that a rhythmic structure might serve to enhance spontaneous usage of a familiar word. Thus such storybooks can be used as effective tools for encouraging oral expression and practice of L2 words. However, they do not seem to be effective tools for enhancing use of unfamiliar words. It seems the verse structure was not sufficient to allow students to accurately encode and recall the phonological representation of the unfamiliar words. Yet, it did appear to accentuate the concept represented by the target word. That is, the picture of the target word seemed more salient to students who had heard the verse text format as they made more attempts to point to and name the word.