A Comparative Study of Reading Ability between Bilingual and Monolingual Grade 4 Pupils

Monolingual individuals are those who can only speak and understand one language, while bilingual individuals can speak and understand two languages. This research aims to determine whether there is a notable distinction in the reading skills of Grade 4 pupils between those who are bilingual and those who are monolingual. The focus areas of comparison include fluency, accuracy, intonation, and expression. The data collection method involved structured observations of Grade 4 pupils in a face-to-face setting at the Elementary School. The study included the entire Grade 4 population, with 18 monolingual and 22 bilingual students as respondents. The findings showed that bilingual students demonstrated strong phonics skills, surpassing their monolingual counterparts. On the other hand, monolingual students excelled in word accuracy and displayed good proficiency in expression. The results indicate a significant difference in the reading abilities of bilingual and monolingual Grade 4 pupils, particularly in phonics, fluency, accuracy, and expression. Thus, it is recommended to prioritize regular reading assessments for both bilingual and monolingual students to enhance their reading skills.