PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN SERBIAN AND ENGLISH: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRESCHOOL AND FIRST GRADE EFL LEARNERS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18485/bells.2025.17.5Keywords:
phonological awareness, English, Serbian, preschool, first gradeAbstract
The present study represents preliminary research into the development of phonological awareness in L1 Serbian and L2 English. By investigating early sensitivity to sounds at two different developmental stages, the study aimed at comparing the level of phonological awareness in a mother tongue and in a foreign language at the beginning of formal education. Bearing the aforementioned in mind, the sample included 20 children, divided into a group of preschoolers and first graders. The results showed that first graders consistently outperformed preschoolers in Serbian, yet this consistency was not entirely reflected in English. This may point to the conclusion that other factors are involved in the development of phonological awareness in a foreign language, indicating important pedagogical implications.
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