Cross-linguistic transfer in literacy development and implications for language learners

Abstract

One of the challenges for educators working in multilingual settings has been to identify the causes of reading difficulties of language learners (LLs). It is difficult to distinguish between reading problems stemming from low levels of linguistic proficiency versus more general reading~learning difficulties. There is now growing research evidence of cross-language transfer in different literacy processes. Literacy components that reflect language-independent, metacognitive/ metalinguistic processes show similarities across the two languages of students. Some examples are phonological awareness, syntactic awareness, knowledge of genres and meaning-making strategies. A possible way to use cross-language transfer as a diagnostic tool is proposed. If children have had enough exposure to and possibly instruction in their first language (L1), we can assess their skills and insights in L1. For LLs who have these skills and insights in their strong L1, we can expect transfer to their second language (L2). If they do not have these skills and insights in their L2 yet, it indicates a delay due to limited language proficiency, and not because of a disability. This way LLs who just need more L2 practice and exposure can be distinguished from those LLs who truly have special needs.In communities around the world, there are many students who have home languages that are different from the school language. These students are learning the majority language while at the

The relationship between language and reading in bilingual English-Arabic children

“…These findings indicate that there is a relationship between phonological awareness skills in the two languages, corroborating the findings reported by . Also, these findings are in line with previous research in the Semitic language of Hebrew (Geva & Wang, 2001) as well as other alphabetic languages (Durgunoglu, 2002).…”

“…For example, ample research exists that bilingual children in the US, whose main language is not English, are at risk for poor reading outcomes (National Center for Education Statistics, 2003). Some studies attribute this to weaknesses in phonological awareness (Durgunoglu, 2002;Geva, 2008) and morphological awareness skills that transfer from one language to another (Deacon & Wade-Woolley, 2005;Geva 2008). Other studies link poor outcomes to the children's diminished language experience.…”

“…For example, phonological processing skills transfer from one alphabetic language to another (Durgunoglu, 2002;Durgunoglu, Nagy, & Hansen-Bhatt, 1993). This transfer is also reported from non-alphabetic languages such as Chinese to alphabetic languages such as English (Perfetti, 2003) and from English to Arabic (Saiegh-Haddad & Geva,…”

A Study into the Results of an Intervention Program of Linguistic Skills in English (L2) and Its Effect on Hebrew (L1) among Poor Readers: An Examination of the Cognitive-Retroactive Transfer (CRT) Hypothesis

“…It was argued that proficiency in syntactic awareness demands of the reader metalinguistic insight allowing the subject to discern the internal grammatical structure of sentences (Durgunoğlu, 2002). Similar findings were found in another study, where syntactical awareness in Spanish as the L1 among students in the 4th grade, was highly correlated with syntactical awareness in English as the L2 (Durgunoğlu, Mir, & Ariño-Martí, 2002).…”

An investigation of cross-linguistic transfer between Chinese and English: a meta-analysis

“…For example, studies Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education have revealed that bilingual children's linguistic skills, such as phonological awareness and morphological awareness in their home language, predict their acquisition of English literacy (e.g., Adams, 1990;Casalis & Louis-Alexandre, 2000;Durgunoğlu, 2002;Riches & Genesee, 2006;Snow et al, 1998;Wagner & Torgesen, 1987). In addition, a number of studies examining learning English as an L2 among children who speak an alphabetic L1 like Spanish, French or Italian have found that students' L1 proficiency level can facilitate their L2 learning (e.g., Cisero & Royer, 1995;Comeau et al, 1999;Durgunoglu et al, 1993;D' Angiulli et al, 2001).…”