{"title":"Nine partner languages, one path: Minority language reading proficiency development among German two-way immersion students","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.learninstruc.2024.102047","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>At the State Europe School of Berlin (SESB) students with different language backgrounds learn together in two languages of instruction: German and one of nine partner languages (English, French, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish).</div></div><div><h3>Aims</h3><div>This study investigates the reading proficiency trajectories in the minority or partner language among students in a two-way immersion (TWI) program.</div></div><div><h3>Sample</h3><div>Participants were 977 TWI students.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study included longitudinal large-scale assessments in Grades 4 to 6. Latent growth curve models were utilized for analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The analyses revealed significant progress in partner language reading skills across all language combinations. However, notable differences in initial proficiency levels and developmental trajectories were observed between partner languages, even after controlling for background variables such as socioeconomic status and cognitive abilities. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that students' initial German reading proficiency positively influenced their reading proficiency in the partner language.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Overall, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of the TWI program in promoting partner language proficiency development in TWI programs, particularly within the unique context of a diverse linguistic environment. This research provides valuable insights into how students develop reading skills in a multilingual environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48357,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Instruction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Learning and Instruction","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475224001749","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
At the State Europe School of Berlin (SESB) students with different language backgrounds learn together in two languages of instruction: German and one of nine partner languages (English, French, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish).
Aims
This study investigates the reading proficiency trajectories in the minority or partner language among students in a two-way immersion (TWI) program.
Sample
Participants were 977 TWI students.
Methods
The study included longitudinal large-scale assessments in Grades 4 to 6. Latent growth curve models were utilized for analysis.
Results
The analyses revealed significant progress in partner language reading skills across all language combinations. However, notable differences in initial proficiency levels and developmental trajectories were observed between partner languages, even after controlling for background variables such as socioeconomic status and cognitive abilities. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that students' initial German reading proficiency positively influenced their reading proficiency in the partner language.
Conclusions
Overall, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of the TWI program in promoting partner language proficiency development in TWI programs, particularly within the unique context of a diverse linguistic environment. This research provides valuable insights into how students develop reading skills in a multilingual environment.
期刊介绍:
As an international, multi-disciplinary, peer-refereed journal, Learning and Instruction provides a platform for the publication of the most advanced scientific research in the areas of learning, development, instruction and teaching. The journal welcomes original empirical investigations. The papers may represent a variety of theoretical perspectives and different methodological approaches. They may refer to any age level, from infants to adults and to a diversity of learning and instructional settings, from laboratory experiments to field studies. The major criteria in the review and the selection process concern the significance of the contribution to the area of learning and instruction, and the rigor of the study.