In:Biscriptuality: Writing skills among German-Russian adolescents
Irina Usanova
[Hamburg Studies on Linguistic Diversity 8] 2019
► pp. ix–xii
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Published online: 10 January 2019
https://doi.org/10.1075/hsld.8.toc
https://doi.org/10.1075/hsld.8.toc
Table of contents
List of figuresXIII
List of tablesXV
Chapter 1.Introduction1
1.1General research context2
1.2Introducing the field of research4
1.3Approaching the investigation of biscriptuality6
Chapter 2.Theoretical background13
2.1Terminology and theoretical framework13
2.1.1From literacy to biliteracy13
2.1.2From biliteracy to biscriptuality18
2.1.3Terminology on writing20
2.1.4Heritage language and majority language20
2.1.5Transfer21
2.2Continua of biliteracy as framework for this study22
2.2.1The continua of biliterate media25
2.2.2The continua of biliterate development28
2.2.3Contexts of biliteracy33
2.2.4Summing up 2.236
2.3Predictors of biliteracy development37
2.3.1Working model by Goldenberg et al.38
2.3.2Family-level variables40
2.3.2.1Family demographics and family literacy resources41
2.3.2.2Language and literacy practices42
2.3.3Individual level variables45
2.3.3.1Individual demographics46
2.3.3.2Individual educational characteristics47
2.3.4Summing up 2.349
2.4Writing skills in different language domains: Linguistic dimensions of writing skills in adolescents50
2.4.1Developing initial scriptual skills50
2.4.2Writing skills in monolinguals54
2.4.3Writing skills in bilinguals57
2.4.4Developing biscriptual skills61
2.4.4.1Transliteration62
2.4.4.2Script as a predictor for biliteracy and biscriptuality66
2.4.5Summing up 2.469
2.5The role of scriptual skills within writing models70
2.5.1Writing models70
2.5.2Transcription as a subprocess of writing75
2.5.3Summing up 2.579
2.6Biscriptuality: Cyrillic and Latin scripts80
2.6.1The recoding model of graphematics81
2.6.2Cyrillic and Latin scripts84
2.6.2.1Insights into grapheme-phoneme correspondences in Cyrillic and Latin scripts86
2.6.2.2Some visual properties of Cyrillic and Latin graphemes88
2.6.3Summing up 2.690
Chapter 3.Research questions and Methods91
3.1Research questions and contributions to the field91
3.2Study design94
3.2.1Sample, sampling method and data collection94
3.2.2The data95
3.3Measuring biliteracy97
3.3.1Writing tasks and procedure98
3.3.2Methodological approach100
3.3.3Data analysis102
3.3.4Scoring system104
3.3.5Holistic scoring scale: Task accomplishment104
3.3.6Holistic scoring scale: Structure of narratives106
3.3.7Analytic scores: Orthographic, lexical, and syntactical dimensions106
3.3.7.1Scoring scales – spelling106
3.3.7.2Scoring scales – vocabulary108
3.3.7.3Scoring scales – syntax108
3.3.8Statistical analysis conducted on scores110
3.3.8.1Factors relating to biscriptuality110
3.3.8.2Between group comparison111
3.3.8.3The sum scores for the first and the second writing task in German and Russian113
3.3.8.4Correlational analysis113
3.3.9Listing of examples114
Chapter 4.Results115
4.1Results: Script choice in Russian116
4.1.1Script choice among bilinguals: The classification into three groups116
4.1.2Cyrillic group117
4.1.2.1Functional variants of graphemes: Cursive vs. manuscript118
4.1.2.2Intrascriptual mixing of Cyrillic graphemes119
4.1.3Mix group121
4.1.3.1Functional variants of graphemes: Cursive vs. manuscript121
4.1.3.2Interscriptual and intrascriptual graphemes’ mixing123
4.1.3.3Strategies for rendering Cyrillic graphemes by the Mix group128
4.1.4Latin group131
4.1.5Summing up 4.1138
4.2Results: Determinants of biscriptuality139
4.2.1Biscriptuality and students’ individual characteristics140
4.2.1.1Students’ sociodemographic composition141
4.2.1.2Students’ educational characteristics143
4.2.2Biscriptuality and students’ familial characteristics146
4.2.2.1Parents’ background146
4.2.3Language practices and literacy resources150
4.2.4Summing up 4.2154
4.3Results: Biscriptuality and bilingual writing skills at the the orthographic level157
4.3.1Types of spelling errors produced in German158
4.3.2Incorrect capitalization of nouns in German and Russian163
4.3.3The role of biscriptuality in students’ spelling in German165
4.3.4Summing up 4.3166
4.4Results: Biscriptuality and bilingual writing skills at the lexical level168
4.4.1Number of words in German and Russian texts in both writing tasks169
4.4.2Mean values of types of nouns, verbs and adjectives in German and Russian171
4.4.3The role of biscriptuality for students’ writing at the lexical level176
4.4.4Summing up 4.4178
4.5Results: Biscriptuality and bilingual writing skills at the syntactical level179
4.5.1Connectors in German and Russian180
4.5.2Types of sentences written in German and Russian183
4.5.3The role of biscriptuality in students’ writing at the syntactical level185
4.5.4Summing up 4.5188
4.6Results: Biscriptuality and bilingual writing skills at the textual level189
4.6.1Expository text composition: Task accomplishment190
4.6.2Narrative text composition: Structure of narratives192
4.6.3The role of biscriptuality in students’ writing at the textual level194
4.6.4Summing up 4.6196
4.7Modeling bilingual biscriptual writing skills198
4.7.1The relation of writing skills in German and Russian199
4.7.2Overall writing skills in German and Russian203
4.7.3The continua of biscriptual writing skills208
Chapter 5.Conclusions215
5.1Introducing conclusions216
5.1.1Scriptual skills of (bi)scriptual bilinguals216
5.2Limitations231
5.3Implications232
5.4Future research234
5.5Final word234
References237
Subject Index257
