UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF PHONEMIC AWARENESS IN EARLY READING DEVELOPMENT AMONG ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between phonemic awareness and early reading in the context of ELLs and the instructional practices they require. Phonemic awareness is therefore the initial and essential component that can help learners in reading, word decoding, and fluency. To conduct the current study, purposive sampling was used and targeted a group of eight primary English language teachers with at least five years’ experience in an urban district of Sialkot, Pakistan. This study used a qualitative research method. The data was gathered through interviews with teachers, observations in classrooms, assessments of the teachers' implementation, and outcome assessments of students' phonemic awareness. Thus, the study is based on the psycholinguistic theory of reading and the theory of cross-linguistic interference, with a special focus on phoneme sensitivity as a prerequisite to reading and its applicability. Research evidences corroborate the notion that phonemic awareness is highly significant for the growth of the ELLs in the reading acquisition process along with the other technical teaching and learning processes, which include the inclusion of activities daily in the classroom, using the multisensory approaches, and differentiation that is based on the needs of the students. Several challenges such as restricted use of language and the learners’ various needs are notable concerning instruction. Alphabetic phonemic awareness can be regarded as essential to developing sound reading skills; therefore, improving educators’ professional qualifications and cooperation will be helpful. According to the study, it is recommended that phonemic awareness should be an essential component of teaching early literacy instruction for ELLs. The results highlight the importance of evidence-based, aimed practices and supporting programs for teachers and specialists working to enhance phonemic awareness instructions among ELLs and promote their reading and language development.