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Nature or nurture : gender differences in Singaporean bilingual children's leisure reading
Author
Luo, Deqin
Supervisor
Sun, Baoqi
Abstract
Gender has long been found to be one of the most important variables associated with children’s reading. However, most extant research focused on gendered reading in a single language (English or any other language used for school instructions). Far too little attention has been given to bilingual children’s leisure reading in their two languages. To fill this gap, the present study investigated gender differences in leisure reading among 537 English-Chinese bilingual primary school children in Singapore. Specifically, the focus was on children’s reading enjoyment, reading habits, and reading preferences in English and Chinese. In addition, given the essential role of the home literacy environment in nurturing children’s reading enjoyment and reading habits, the study also examined whether the home literacy environment was related to gender differences in children’s bilingual leisure reading. A survey was conducted to gather information about children’s reading enjoyment, reading habits, reading preferences, and home literacy environment.
Gender has been found to have a more significant impact on children’s reading enjoyment in Chinese than in English. Notable gender gaps, favoring girls, were found in their Chinese reading enjoyment but not in English. Both genders were found to enjoy English reading similarly. Regardless of language, the girls were found to read more often and for longer durations. The boys and girls shared their greatest liking for the most popular genres but showed differences in their liking for certain genres independent of language. Meanwhile, gender disparities were also found in their home literacy environment, favoring girls. However, results of the current study imply that while both home literacy environment and schools influence children’s leisure reading, schools probably play a greater role in gendered reading.
Taken together, the present study shed new light on gendered reading by suggesting that the impact of gender on bilingual children’s reading enjoyment could be influenced by language. It underscored the critical roles of children’s home literacy environment, language instruction, and bilingual curriculum in Singaporean English-Chinese bilingual children’s gendered reading, which provides important insights for future research and valuable information for policymakers and teachers looking to develop sound plans to support children’s bilingual reading.
Gender has been found to have a more significant impact on children’s reading enjoyment in Chinese than in English. Notable gender gaps, favoring girls, were found in their Chinese reading enjoyment but not in English. Both genders were found to enjoy English reading similarly. Regardless of language, the girls were found to read more often and for longer durations. The boys and girls shared their greatest liking for the most popular genres but showed differences in their liking for certain genres independent of language. Meanwhile, gender disparities were also found in their home literacy environment, favoring girls. However, results of the current study imply that while both home literacy environment and schools influence children’s leisure reading, schools probably play a greater role in gendered reading.
Taken together, the present study shed new light on gendered reading by suggesting that the impact of gender on bilingual children’s reading enjoyment could be influenced by language. It underscored the critical roles of children’s home literacy environment, language instruction, and bilingual curriculum in Singaporean English-Chinese bilingual children’s gendered reading, which provides important insights for future research and valuable information for policymakers and teachers looking to develop sound plans to support children’s bilingual reading.
Date Issued
2021
Call Number
P115.2 Luo
Date Submitted
2021