English phonics instruction for native Chinese speakers: limiting factors and tailoring strategies

ABSTRACT Phonics instruction, originating in English-speaking countries, has gained considerable momentum in China, both within and beyond formal classroom settings. Despite its popularity, certain limiting factors arise when implementing phonics instruction for native Chinese speakers. These factors include the lack of prior exposure to lexical phonological-semantic relations and the underdeveloped perception of English phonetic categories. In response to these limitations, targeted instructional strategies are proposed. The analysis underscores the imperative of acknowledging these limiting factors when incorporating phonics instruction for native Chinese speakers, as well as the necessity of devising tailored instruction, rather than directly adopting instructional approaches and materials from English-speaking nations. Such efforts hold the potential to yield significant benefits in enhancing the effectiveness of English phonics education for English language learners.