Arabic-L:LING:Short Vowel responses

[Dilworth B. Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Thu 17 Aug 2000
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject: Short Vowel response
2) Subject: Short Vowel response
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1)
Date: 17 Aug 2000
From: Roger Allen <rallen at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
Subject: Short Vowel Query

Kirk:
  Muhammad Ma`muri (Maamouri) of Penn's International Literacy Center
(former head of the Bourghiba Institute in Tnis) has certainly lectured to
us here on the impact of the printing/non-printing of vowels on literacy in
the Arab world.
   As I recollect, he was advocating the use of computer printing as a
means of producing a larger Arabic character set (with vowels) that would
have a major impact on literacy.  In any case you can write to him at:
maamouri at literacy.upenn.edu

al the best as always and hoping to encounter
you in Orlando!

ROGER

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2)
Date: 17 Aug 2000
From: Umm Muadth <umumuadth at awtechnologies.com>
Subject: Short Vowel Query

I am very interested in the research being conducted on the preschool Arabic
immersion program.  Where could one obtain the research thesis upon
completion?

As for your questions, unfortunately I do not have empirical evidence,
merely anecdotal.

"Is anyone aware of any solid research that substantiates the claim that the
lack of short vowels in Arabic is a serious impediment to learning to read?"

I find such a hypothesis strange.  My ignorance is glaring but wouldn't the
vowel marking (dammah, kesra and fatha) on any given letter, exclusive of
the 'waw', 'yah', and 'alif' following each of the markings respectively, be
considered a 'short vowel' (i.e. 'asad')?

"Likewise, is there any real evidence that reading Arabic requires more of a
"decoding" approach than, for example, English, given Arabic's lack of short
vowels and multiple shapes for letters?"

If we consider that there are quite a few irregular words in the English
language, which are not 'decodable' per se, than we can see that both a
phonics approach, i.e. 'decoding', and memorization are necessary.  As for
Arabic, if you stick to the vowel markings than anyone can read virtually
anything.

Therefore, due to the fact that Arabic has less irregularities, phonetically
speaking, it would appear that statistically one would utilize decoding more
in Arabic than English.  This does have its benefits (less memorizing of
irregularities).

Umm Muadth

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End of Arabic-L: 17 Aug 2000