Language and Reading

Di dunia kini kita, tiap orang harus dapat membaca…

Unless one has first learned to speak Bahasa Indonesia, there is no way that one will be able to read the above Indonesian sentence.

Language plays a vital role in reading. Its role in reading can be compared to the role of running in the game of soccer or ice-skating in the game of ice hockey. One cannot play soccer if one cannot run, and one cannot play ice hockey if one cannot skate. One cannot read a book in a language unless one knows that particular language. If a child's knowledge of English is poor, then his reading will also be poor.

Comprehensive reviews of the evidence that links reading problems and language problems have been extensively presented in the literature. The following are just a few examples:

1. A study in 1970 of Doctor Renate Valtin of Germany, based on one hundred pairs of dyslexic and normal children, found indications of backwardness in speech development and a greater frequency of speech disturbances among dyslexics than among normal children.

2. According to Doctor Beve Hornsby it has been stated that about 60 percent of dyslexics were late talkers.

3. According to Janet Lerner, “language problems of one form or another are the underlying basis for many learning disabilities. Oral language disorders include poor phonological awareness, delayed speech, disorders of grammar or syntax, deficiencies in vocabulary acquisition, and poor understanding of oral language.”

If a child's grasp of the English language is inadequate, the only way through which his reading could be improved, would be by not only teaching the skills foundational to reading, but by also improving his command of English. Without effectively working at improving his English, the reading ability of the child will not improve.