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How English orthographic proficiency modulates visual attention span in Italian learners with and without dyslexia

Venagli, Ilaria ; Kupisch, Tanja LU and Lallier, Marie (2025) In Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
Abstract
Visual attention span (VAS) refers to the number of visual elements processed simultaneously in a multielement array. It is causally related to reading skills and may be impaired in readers with dyslexia. VAS is influenced by orthographic depth with opaque orthographies boosting it. Such orthography-specific VAS modulations are subject to crosslinguistic interactions in early biliterates, leading to advantages associated with learning to read in an opaque orthography. However, little is known about potential VAS bootstrapping effects in late biliterates. This study investigates potential VAS modulation in late biliterates with and without dyslexia. Participants were first language (L1) Italian native speakers (transparent orthography)... (More)
Visual attention span (VAS) refers to the number of visual elements processed simultaneously in a multielement array. It is causally related to reading skills and may be impaired in readers with dyslexia. VAS is influenced by orthographic depth with opaque orthographies boosting it. Such orthography-specific VAS modulations are subject to crosslinguistic interactions in early biliterates, leading to advantages associated with learning to read in an opaque orthography. However, little is known about potential VAS bootstrapping effects in late biliterates. This study investigates potential VAS modulation in late biliterates with and without dyslexia. Participants were first language (L1) Italian native speakers (transparent orthography) learning English as a second language (L2). Our results show that the VAS capacity of typical readers is modulated by English orthographic knowledge, providing the first evidence that experience with a nonnative orthography boosts VAS skills also in late biliterates. This effect was reduced in dyslexic learners, possibly due to a VAS deficit. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
dyslexia, orthography, visual attention span
in
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85218918339
ISSN
1366-7289
DOI
10.1017/S1366728925000124
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d20a2608-0ef4-436f-9369-24da1b49e50e
date added to LUP
2025-01-18 18:58:47
date last changed
2025-07-03 10:44:00
@article{d20a2608-0ef4-436f-9369-24da1b49e50e,
  abstract     = {{Visual attention span (VAS) refers to the number of visual elements processed simultaneously in a multielement array. It is causally related to reading skills and may be impaired in readers with dyslexia. VAS is influenced by orthographic depth with opaque orthographies boosting it. Such orthography-specific VAS modulations are subject to crosslinguistic interactions in early biliterates, leading to advantages associated with learning to read in an opaque orthography. However, little is known about potential VAS bootstrapping effects in late biliterates. This study investigates potential VAS modulation in late biliterates with and without dyslexia. Participants were first language (L1) Italian native speakers (transparent orthography) learning English as a second language (L2). Our results show that the VAS capacity of typical readers is modulated by English orthographic knowledge, providing the first evidence that experience with a nonnative orthography boosts VAS skills also in late biliterates. This effect was reduced in dyslexic learners, possibly due to a VAS deficit.}},
  author       = {{Venagli, Ilaria and Kupisch, Tanja and Lallier, Marie}},
  issn         = {{1366-7289}},
  keywords     = {{dyslexia; orthography; visual attention span}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Bilingualism: Language and Cognition}},
  title        = {{How English orthographic proficiency modulates visual attention span in Italian learners with and without dyslexia}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1366728925000124}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S1366728925000124}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}