Showing papers on "Reading (process) published in 1979"
TL;DR: Iser as discussed by the authors describes the "time flow" of reading, the "wandering viewpoint" which the reader must adopt in the "continual interplay between modified expectations and transformed memories" (p. 111).
Abstract: At the heart of this unnecessarily convoluted study of reading is a sensible description of how readers arrive at an understanding of novels, constructing the world implied by a text and "assembling" its meaning. Reading is presented as a purely intellectual, ideational affair. Not a word is said of the emotional component of a reader's response. For Iser fiction is a mode of communication. A novel is "a system of perspectives designed to transmit the individuality of the author's vision" (p. 35), and the reader participates "both in the production and the comprehension of the work's intention" (p. 23). The author's vision is a vision of the social and cultural norms of his time, which he may either "shore up" and affirm, or break down by making us experience their deficiencies. Iser is at his best in explicating the "time flow" of reading, the "wandering viewpoint" which the reader must adopt in the "continual interplay between modified expectations and transformed memories" (p. 111). What we experience while reading is a shifting sequence of points of view—the narrator's, the implied reader's, a particular character's—and a sequence of events that either confirm or disconfirm these points of view. We build up "images" of the characters and events, and of what they seem to mean, and then must correct them as new information is provided. Thus our initial image of Fielding's Squire Allworthy as "the perfect man" must be modified when Captain Blifil dupes him, and modified again when he sees through the appearances of Tom's behavior to his benevolent motives. What makes reading an active, constructive process is the fact that the text does not provide all the necessary links between points of view and the train of events. What it provides instead are "blanks," apparent inconsistencies that the reader must fill in or explain. To do so, driven as we are by the search for consistency, is both to construct the meanings and experience them. As we discover, for example, the deficiencies of the various points of view in Tom Jones, each of which represents a particular eighteenth-century view of human nature, we simultaneously construct one of the central meanings of the novel: that there is a "gulf between the rigid confines of principle and the endless fluidity of human experience" (p. 77). The significance of this meaning is whatever it reveals to the reader about himself: "The reader should see himself reflected in the characters, and so should come to a better
1,847 citations
TL;DR: Louise M. Rosenblatt as mentioned in this paper argued that the reading transaction is a unique event involving reader and text at a particular time under particular circumstances, and that the dualistic emphasis of other theories on either the reader or the text as separate and static entities cannot explain the importance of factors such as gender, ethnicity, culture, and socioeconomic context.
Abstract: Louise M. Rosenblatt s award-winning work continues increasingly to be read in a wide range of academic fieldsliterary criticism, reading theory, aesthetics, composition, rhetoric, speech communication, and education. Her view of the reading transaction as a unique event involving reader and text at a particular time under particular circumstances rules out the dualistic emphasis of other theories on either the reader or the text as separate and static entities. The transactional concept accounts for the importance of factors such as gender, ethnicity, culture, and socioeconomic context. Essential reading for the specialist, this book is also well suited for courses in criticism, critical theory, rhetoric, and aesthetics.Starting from the same nonfoundationalist premises, Rosenblatt avoids the extreme relativism of postmodern theories derived mainly from Continental sources. A deep understanding of the pragmatism of Dewey, James, and Peirce and of key issues in the social sciences is the basis for a view of language and the reading process that recognizes the potentialities for alternative interpretations and at the same time provides a rationale for the responsible reading of texts.The book has been praised for its lucid explanation of the multidimensional character of the reading processevoking, interpreting, and evaluating the work. The nonliterary (efferent) and the literary (aesthetic) are shown not to be opposites but to represent a continuum of reading behaviors. The author amply illustrates her theoretical points with interpretations of varied texts. The epilogue carries further her critique of rival contemporary theories.\
1,041 citations
Book•
1 Jan 1979
TL;DR: A systematic and comprehensive treatment of dyslexia can be found in this article, where the authors provide evidence suggesting that dyslexic children do not see letters backward, instead, they suggest that specific reading disability is associated with deficiency or disorder in one or more aspects of linguistic functioning, or in visual-verbal association learning.
Abstract: Dyslexia is a term commonly used to refer to severe and pervasive reading impairment in otherwise normal children. Because dyslexia technically refers to reading disability in brain injured patients, organic disorder has been one of the most frequently cited reasons for why Johnny can't read. It is also one of the most misunderstood and expensive problems known to psychologists and educators. Millions of dollars are spent annually on research, assessment, and treatment programs for dyslexia from which concerned parents and teachers have sought help. Most of the research on the subject however has been characterized by poorly designed experiments, informal observations, and equivocal results.This book makes available the first systematic and comprehensive treatment of dyslexia. It carefully examines the problem, points out the flaws in many of the educational techniques currently being used for training dyslexics, and presents new theories as to what constitutes specific reading disability.The book is divided into three sections. Part I considers the various definitions of dyslexia that have been offered, discusses the problems inherent in choosing a meaningful research population, and surveys the major theories of this disorder from the turn of the century to the present.Part II examines in detail the four major conceptions of dyslexia outlined in the first section -- visual perception, intersensory integration, serial processing, and verbal processing. Here, Vellutino provides evidence suggesting that, contrary to popular belief, dyslexic children do not see letters backward. Instead, he suggests that specific reading disability is associated with deficiency or disorder in one or more aspects of linguistic functioning, or in visual-verbal association learning, and discusses research that supports these possibilities.The first two sections of the book are summarized in Part III, which also suggests areas of future research and discusses the implications of research findings for the development of assessment and treatment programs for dyslexia.The analyses, conclusions, and suggestions in this study will be of particular interest to specialists and students in developmental psychology, learning disability, education, linguistics, speech and hearing, pediatrics, neurology, and reading theory.
979 citations
Book•
1 Jan 1979
TL;DR: For instance, Anderson and Nagy as mentioned in this paper pointed out that words serve to inspire and enrage, clarify and confuse, comfort and cudgel, obscure and occupy; the possibilities are endless.
Abstract: Words are very peculiar creatures (Anderson & Nagy, 1991; Baumann &
Kameenui, 1991; Bryson, 1990). They serve to inspire and enrage, clarify
and confuse, comfort and cudgel, obscure and occupy; the possibilities are
endless. Were he to offer his uncanny wisdom to the discussion, Yogi Berra,
that legendary wordsmith of baseball slurs, would probably add: "There are
words and there are words." Indeed there are.
925 citations
Book•
7 Jun 1979
TL;DR: The study of the cultural meaning of landscapes is of increasing interest in several fields as mentioned in this paper, and this book attempts to open up the subject to a wider audience, and is the first to deal with the basic principles of reading the landscape.
Abstract: The study of the cultural meaning of landscapes is of increasing interest in several fields. This book attempts to open up the subject to a wider audience, and is the first to deal with the basic principles of reading the landscape'.
575 citations
546 citations
TL;DR: This article investigated the processing of noun-verb lexical ambiguities in syntactic contexts which either biased the noun or verb reading (e.g., I bought the watch; I will watch).
521 citations
TL;DR: This article observed three dissociations in a case of alexia: a disturbance of reading, without comparable disturbance of oral expression, oral comprehension, writing, or spelling aloud; a disturbance located at the level of the phonological stage, without disturbance of the perceptual and expressive stages.
Abstract: Three dissociations were observed in a case of alexia: a disturbance of reading, without comparable disturbance of oral expression, oral comprehension, writing, or spelling aloud; a disturbance of the phonological reading process, without disturbance of the non-phonological reading process; a disturbance located at the level of the phonological stage, without disturbance of the perceptual and expressive stages. This pattern of results has been called phonological alexia.
Abstract: When asked by the book review editor to write an article discussing some ‘important, memorable, relevant, unusual or informative books (or articles)’ in the field of psychopharmacology, I was uncertain quite what was wanted.
TL;DR: The orthodox interpretation of the dyslexia without dysgraphia in terms of a disconnection syndrome is shown to be inappropriate, at least for the present case, where the deficit appears to be within the semantic domain.
Abstract: An analytical investigation of the residual reading capacities of a single patient with dyslexia without dysgraphia is reported. Both his ability to name and to comprehend letters and words were severely impaired. The major finding of this investigation was AR's striking capacity for categorizing words he could not read. In addition there was evidence of semantic priming effects. Thus AR was frequently able to achieve partial comprehension of words he could not read. The orthodox interpretation of the dyslexia without dysgraphia in terms of a disconnection syndrome is shown to be inappropriate, at least for the present case, where the deficit appears to be within the semantic domain; it is argued that this type of dyslexia is due to an impairment in accessing semantic information.
TL;DR: This article showed that decoding training, whether focusing on isolated words or on phrases, significantly increased decoding speed of single words, however, it did not improve comprehension performance and the implications of these findings are discussed in relation to a decoding sufficiency hypothesis.
Abstract: comprehension of increasing the decoding speed of poor readers. In the first experiment, poor readers were trained to read a list of words as rapidly as good readers, and then were asked to read a passage comprised of the practiced words. Decoding speed measures on the word list and passage and comprehension measures were obtained. The performance of the trained poor readers was compared to their performance on an equivalent untrained passage and to the performance of good readers. The second experiment was essentially a replication of the first, with the addition of a training condition which emphasized rapid phrase reading. The results of both experiments indicated that decoding training, whether focusing on isolated words or on phrases, significantly increased the decoding speed of single words. However, it did not improve comprehension performance. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to a decoding sufficiency hypothesis.
TL;DR: Barron et al. as mentioned in this paper found that the tendency to rely on rules as opposed to word-specific associations is correlated with ability to read regular words (e.g., lut) rather than with ability of reading exception words (put).
Abstract: BARON, JONATHAN. Orthographic and Word-specific Mechanisms in Children's Reading of Words. CmILD DEVELOPMENT, 1979, 50, 60-72. 3 experiments show differences among children in relative reliance on spelling-sound rules versus word-specific associations in reading words. Ability to read nonsense words (e.g., lut) is correlated more highly with ability to read regular words (cut) than with ability to read exception words (put). Children also differ in their tendencies to make meaning-preserving errors as opposed to errors involving overgeneralization of spellingsound rules to exception words. Children who rely more on rules are more slowed by reading 2 successive words with the same spelling pattern pronounced differently (maid, said). The tendency to rely on rules as opposed to word-specific associations is correlated with ability to read regular words. Individual differences appear to arise largely from differences in instruction, although there are also consistent sex differences (boys tend to rely more on rules). In experiment 3, performance on nonsense words is improved by instruction to think of analogous words. This finding, plus others, indicates that both analogies and smaller-unit rules are used to apply rules.
Book•
1 Jan 1979
TL;DR: The author recounts his personal experiences while working in close collaboration with his doctor to overcome a crippling and supposedly irreversible disease, and illustrates the life-saving and ultimately life-prolonging benefits to be gained by taking responsibility for one's own well-being.
Abstract: The premise of Norman Cousins's enormously influential work is that the human mind is capable of promoting the body's capacity for combating illness and healing itself even when faced with a seemingly hopeless medical predicament. The author recounts his personal experiences while working in close collaboration with his doctor to overcome a crippling and supposedly irreversible disease, and illustrates the life-saving and ultimately life-prolonging benefits to be gained by taking responsibility for one's own well-being. Cousins's story is inspirational reading for anyone contending with a serious illness.
1 Jan 1979
TL;DR: A schema that attempts to embrace all graphic language is presented, shown in a matrix which presents a number of theoretical possibilities in terms of approaches to graphic language.
Abstract: This paper presents a schema that attempts to embrace all graphic language. The essence of the schema is shown in a matrix which presents a number of theoretical possibilities in terms of approaches to graphic language. One axis of the matrix describes the methods of configuration of graphic language, using such terms as pure linear, linear interrupted, list, linear branching, matrix, non-linear directed, non-linear open. The other axis describes the modes of symbolization of graphic language, using four somewhat crude categories: verbal/numerical, pictorial and verbal/numerical, pictorial, schematic. Numerous, examples are shown to clarify terms and the underlying concepts they describe. It is emphasized that the matrix is a device for directing thinking, rather than a means of defining graphic language.
The paper is written from the standpoint of a practising graphic designer. The matrix is used to illustrate the wide range of approaches open to us in graphic language and the effect this is assumed to have on reading/viewing strategies and cognitive processes. It is mggested that the matrix is useful in focusing attention on two fundamental questions that ought always to be asked when deciding how a graphic message should be communicated: What should be the mode of symbolization and what should be the method of configuration? Legibility and related research is briefly reviewed in order to establish what light it throws on these questions; with a few notable exceptions it is found wanting. It is suggested that there is a need for more research that crosses the boundaries of the cells of the matrix.
This paper is not the culmination of a sustained programme of research and brings no firm evidence to bear on any aspect of graphic language. It is the contribution of a graphic designer who has had the opportunity of associating with research workers concerned with the evaluation of graphic language, and is written as a tutorial paper to stimulate thought and discussion. It is an attempt to define the scope of graphic language and to show relationships between different approaches to it that have been, and can be, used. Throughout the paper, the totality of graphic language and its specifically graphic variables are emphasized. Though the approach may appear to be somewhat theoretical, it is intended that it should have practical implications.
Book•
1 Jan 1979
TL;DR: Per Perlman as mentioned in this paper, a book about the subject about which she writes, engages the reader immediately, permitting a view into the author's rich and varied experiences, threaded throughout with profound compassion for all those who seek, suffer and strive.
Abstract: "Like the subject about which she writes, Perlman engages the reader immediately, permitting a view into the author's rich and varied experiences, threaded throughout with profound compassion for all those who seek, suffer, and strive. . . . [This is] a welcome and wise effort, written with grace, sense and deep humanism. Were it in my power I would make it mandatory reading for all those who seek to offer others help." Shirley Cooper, "American Journal of Orthopsychiatry""
TL;DR: A new approach to natural language processing is described which results in a very robust and efficient system which enables the parser to benefit from predictions that the rest of the system makes in the course of its processing.
Patent•
2 Jan 1979TL;DR: In this article, a line scanning camera generates signal information indicative of marks on a scanned document and a selectable memory containing several document formats cause the signal information from the scanned document corresponding to the selected format to be transmitted for evaluation.
Abstract: A line scanning camera generates signal information indicative of marks on a scanned document and a selectable memory containing several document formats cause the signal information from the scanned document corresponding to the selected format to be transmitted for evaluation.
Book•
1 Jan 1979
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the use of the Jacaltec language in Malagasy and Guugu Yimidhirr in the context of communicating with others.
Abstract: Illustrations Introduction Preface to the 1987 Edition I. JACALTEC: FIELD WORK IN GUATEMALA Introduction Field Methods The Jacaltec Language The Linguistic Horizons of Jacaltec Speakers Suggestions for Further Reading II. MANINKA Introduction: Maninka Language and Society Maninka Grammar The Use of Language in Maninka Culture Suggestions for Further Reading Appendix III. BECOMING A COMPETENT SPEAKER OF MALAGASY Introduction Background Forming Sentences in Malagasy Malagasy Subjects and Complex Structures Conditions on the Use of Speech Behavioral Norms and Speech Usage Suggestions for Further Reading IV. HOW TO TALK TO YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW IN GUUGU YIMIDHIRR Embedded Speech The Language of Cooktown The Guugu Yimidhirr Language The Social Context of Speech in Traditional Guugu Yimidhirr Society Language in the Modern Guugu Yimidhirr Community Suggestions for Further Reading Glossary V. JAPANESE: A STORY OF LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE Introduction A History of Japan The Structure of Japanese Japanese and Its Relation to the Environment Suggestions for Further Reading
Book•
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1 Jan 1979
TL;DR: Vanier is not a rosy idealist. He acknowledges the inevitable little frustrations of a life lived with and for others, but he also helps the reader see that without struggle there is no true growth as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: If you've ever thought about community, whether as a lifestyle or simply as an expression of deeper fellowship with others, this book is essential reading. In the fifteen years since it first appeared in English, it has become the classic text on the subject -- read, dog-eared, borrowed, and discussed.Vanier is not a rosy idealist. That is because his writing is based not on theories, but on a wealth of wisdom gleaned over many years living in community, experiencing difficult days and joyous celebrations, times of struggle and hard-won success, moments of doubt and inspiration. He acknowledges the inevitable little frustrations of a life lived with and for others, but he also helps the reader see that without struggle there is no true growth.
Journal Article•