Developing pre-literacy skills via shared book reading: The effect of linguistic distance in a diglossic context

Diglossia is a term used to describe a linguistic situation where two language varieties coexist. One is a high variety and is used in formal contexts and as the language of instruction. The other is a low variety and is utilized in informal situations and as the native language of the community. Morocco and most other Arab countries present an actual realization of this phenomenon. Indeed in these countries, children grow up speaking a Spoken Vernacular Arabic (SVA), but later learn to read another language variety, Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). The extant literature suggests diglossia has led the two language varieties to grow linguistically distant and thus to negatively impact the development of pre-literacy skills. The present research study examines the possibility of promoting preliteracy capabilities specifically phonological awareness, vocabulary size and print awareness through shared book reading within a diglossic context. The goals are: (a) to analyze the effect of shared book reading on each of these constructs; (b) to study the effect of linguistic distance in books on their development; (c) to investigate whether the lexical items that display less linguistic difference are easier for the child to acquire.;Using a pretest-posttest comparison group research design, 45 children, with no formal instruction have been assigned to 2 intervention groups (n=15), and a control group (n=15). Children in the intervention group were given 2 different sets of books using an alternating treatments design A/B B/A. Books from set 1 were created to minimize linguistic distance; set 2 were standard books. Pretest and posttests examined children's phonological awareness abilities, print awareness skills, and long term vocabulary acquisition as well as fast mapping abilities.;Overall, storybook reading exposure positively impacted word learning capabilities and print awareness development. The effect of linguistic distance was significant on fast mapping but modest on vocabulary acquisition. It significantly affected the quality of parent child interaction but not phonological and print awareness development. Additionally, the results suggest a different pattern of phonological awareness development. Cross linguistic factors and their impact on development are discussed.