Patterns of reading ability in the inner city: a study of London

Abstract

Sociolinguistic studies of language development have tended to con centrate on the home and the classroom and to emphasize the im portance of social class as a major determinant of differences in lan guage style. However, analyses of spatial patterns of reading attain ment in inner London indicate that although class is important its influence is moulded by features of the neighbourhood in which the children live. These neighbourhood influences may help explain areal variations in the performance of members of the same social class living in different parts of the city. It is suggested, as a result of these findings, that a focus on the local area by students of linguistic develop ment may provide additional information about processes of language acquisition.