Entry #3 Oral Language and Reading Process

The relationship between oral language and the reading process are vital for an English Language Learner. Oral language is the listening and speaking part of communication that develops naturally. Oral language development are also the building blocks for reading comprehension and success and it related to the academic achievement through schooling. Children are exposed to language from the day they are born. They are surrounded by both oral (conversations, listening, speaking) and written language (environmental print, books) which supports vocabulary development, understanding language structures, and learning the sounds of the English language.

Oral language is essential for both reading and writing. In order to understand language in print, oral language skills are a necessity. Exposing children to books and other forms of print allows them to see people reading and writing in their daily life. Adults can be reading models for children by reading for pleasure, demonstrating directionality, and assist in the understanding of spoken and written language. Oral language and the reading process are two separate skills that are built simultaneously and need one another to be successful.