Effects of biliteracy on third language reading proficiency, the example of Turkish-German bilinguals
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Dominique Rauch
Abstract
The paper at hand compares the effects of bilingual language use and biliteracy on third language reading comprehension. Data of 280 9th-graders from 14 schools in Hamburg, Germany, were analyzed for the research. Using a questionnaire on language use at home, 142 students were identified as monolingual speakers of German and 138 students as bilingual speakers of Turkish and German. All students were tested in reading comprehension in German (GRC) and English (ERC), which is the third language of the bilinguals. Students with a background in Turkish were tested in Turkish reading comprehension (TRC), too. On the basis of the TRC and GRC test the bilingual students were grouped into fully biliterate students and partially biliterate. Controlling for a set of comprehensive cognitive and socio-economic variables, multivariate regression analysis revealed a negative association between the oral use of Turkish and German in daily life and English reading comprehension but a positive association of biliteracy in Turkish and German and English reading comprehension. In contrast to a bilingualism, which is related to spoken language only, biliteracy seems to be positively associated with third language acquisition.
Abstract
The paper at hand compares the effects of bilingual language use and biliteracy on third language reading comprehension. Data of 280 9th-graders from 14 schools in Hamburg, Germany, were analyzed for the research. Using a questionnaire on language use at home, 142 students were identified as monolingual speakers of German and 138 students as bilingual speakers of Turkish and German. All students were tested in reading comprehension in German (GRC) and English (ERC), which is the third language of the bilinguals. Students with a background in Turkish were tested in Turkish reading comprehension (TRC), too. On the basis of the TRC and GRC test the bilingual students were grouped into fully biliterate students and partially biliterate. Controlling for a set of comprehensive cognitive and socio-economic variables, multivariate regression analysis revealed a negative association between the oral use of Turkish and German in daily life and English reading comprehension but a positive association of biliteracy in Turkish and German and English reading comprehension. In contrast to a bilingualism, which is related to spoken language only, biliteracy seems to be positively associated with third language acquisition.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part 1. Policies
- Plurilingualism and the challenges of education 15
- The Council of Europe’s Language Education Policy Profile 33
- Australian Language Policy and the design of a national curriculum for languages 55
- Acts of identity in the continuum from multilingual practices to language policy 75
- Minority language instruction in Berlin and Brandenburg 87
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Part 2. Multilingual practices
- Dynamics and management of linguistic diversity in companies and institutions of higher education 113
- Discourse, representation and language practices 139
- “Because it is my life, and I’m the one who makes choices” – Newcomers in the French education system and career guidance 161
- The effects of language transfer as a resource in instruction 181
-
Part 3. Language development
- Effects of biliteracy on third language reading proficiency, the example of Turkish-German bilinguals 199
- L1 and L2 proficiency in Hebrew English adolescent learners 219
- Developing a written lexicon in a multilingual environment 245
- Index 259
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part 1. Policies
- Plurilingualism and the challenges of education 15
- The Council of Europe’s Language Education Policy Profile 33
- Australian Language Policy and the design of a national curriculum for languages 55
- Acts of identity in the continuum from multilingual practices to language policy 75
- Minority language instruction in Berlin and Brandenburg 87
-
Part 2. Multilingual practices
- Dynamics and management of linguistic diversity in companies and institutions of higher education 113
- Discourse, representation and language practices 139
- “Because it is my life, and I’m the one who makes choices” – Newcomers in the French education system and career guidance 161
- The effects of language transfer as a resource in instruction 181
-
Part 3. Language development
- Effects of biliteracy on third language reading proficiency, the example of Turkish-German bilinguals 199
- L1 and L2 proficiency in Hebrew English adolescent learners 219
- Developing a written lexicon in a multilingual environment 245
- Index 259
