Many studies have found that music sensitivity has a great influence on language skills and this finding applies to all languages. It is also found that language skills, especially phonological awareness and lexical tone sensitivity, and reading ability are highly correlated. And besides, an interesting fact is that Chinese tone sensitivity and English reading ability have a cross-language connection. That being the case, what is the link between music sensitivity and reading ability? Does music sensitivity directly act on reading ability, or does it influence reading ability indirectly by affecting language skills? The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship. Fifty six third graders from two Macao primary schools were selected as subjects with their music sensitivity (rhythm and melody), language skills (phonological awareness and tone sensitivity) and reading ability (English and Chinese word reading) being measured. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted. The results are as follow: firstly, music sensitivity including rhythm and melody sensitivity is highly correlated with language skills including Chinese phonological awareness, English phonological awareness and Chinese tone sensitivity. Secondly, language skills are associated with reading ability; Chinese phonological awareness and tone sensitivity are highly correlated with Chinese reading ability while English phonological awareness and Chinese tone sensitivity are associated with English reading ability as well. Thirdly, music sensitivity is linked to English reading through the mediation of English phonological awareness and Chinese tone sensitivity. v Findings of this study may help researchers to understand how to improve Chinese language ability and English reading ability among Chinese-English bilingual children using music interventions.

許多研究發現音樂敏感性對語言能力有很大的影響，這種影響對任何語言 都適用。同時也有一些研究發現語言能力，尤其是語音意識和聲調意識，與閱 讀能力有著很高的相關性，有趣的是前人研究發現中文的聲調意識與英文的閱 讀能力有著跨語言的相關。既然如此，那麼，音樂敏感性對閱讀能力是否有直 接作用，還是通過影響語言能力來影響閱讀能力呢。 基於此研究目的，筆者選取了澳門地區某兩所小學的三年級學生 56 名，對 他們的音樂敏感性（節奏和旋律）、中英文語言能力（語音意識和聲調意識）以 及閱讀能力（中英文讀詞）進行測試。並對測試結果進行相關性和回歸性分析。 結果發現，首先，音樂敏感性與語言能力有著很高的相關性，節奏與旋律 的敏感性與中文語音意識、英文語音意識以及中文聲調意識相關。其次，語言 能力與閱讀能力相關，中文語音意識和中文聲調意識與中文閱讀能力相關，英 文語音意識以及中文聲調意識與英文閱讀能力相關。最後，音樂敏感性與英文 閱讀能力不存在一個直接作用，音樂敏感性是通過影響語言能力來影響英語閱 讀水平的。 筆者根據上述數據統計結果得出相應的結論，并提出促進語言能力和閱讀 能力發展的建議。