So What? Why WL is valuable in Reading Education

I recently read an article that investigates cross-language transfer between L1 and L2 reading fluency and comprehension in native German-speaking elementary students immersed in an English language program. Cross-language transfer was measured by a cross-lagged structural equation model. The results showed reciprocal transfer effects between L1 and L2 reading comprehension and fluency. The path L2 to L1 showed overall dominance to path L1 to L2 and is attributed to the opportunities for academic reading in the L2 at school in an immersed setting. Successful reading skills acquired in the L2 transferred to the L1. The article uses the National Reading Panels definition of reading fluency: “the ability to read rapidly, accurately, and with proper expression.” The article uses the RAND report to define the cognitive process of reading comprehension as “the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language.” Previous research showed that reading fluency impacted reading comprehension between L1 and L2. Students reading comprehension and fluency were measured in both German and English. The tests were administered 8 weeks before the end of the academic year in grades 3 and 4. There were high correlations within each language.

I found this article very interesting because world language teachers often find themselves in a position of having to justify their programs existence due to constant budget cuts and ever more emphasis on “core subjects.” I think one of our strongest arguments is that world language programs have a profound impact on students’ ability to increase learning across content areas, particularly core subjects. Many schools are concentrating on literacy programs and working to improve lexile scores in the majority language the type of study done in this article helps prove that information and skills taught in the world language transfer to the majority language and increases fluency and comprehension.

 Language teachers have been using effective instructional methods to teach reading to acquire information all along. It is odd to sit in inservice meetings and hear instructional coaches teach teacher to teach the way we have always been teaching in World Language. Why do they hire these outsiders or snag people from other systems when all they had to do was walk down the hall and ask their WL teacher? It is very frustrating to know that our colleagues and administrators are so unfamiliar with our content areas that they feel it is necessary to go to someone else to tell them what we already know. We can be a valuable tool to our colleagues in other content areas who may not be as familiar in research-based practices to teach these transferable reading skills in the classroom. I suppose the only thing for us to do is to advocate for ourselves more by showing our school systems how valuable we are by continuing to use solid research-based practices and provide evidence such as found in this article.

Gebauer, S.K., Zaunbauer, A.C.M. & Möller, J. (2013). Cross-language transfer in English immersion programs in Germany: Readingcomprehension and reading fluency. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 38, 64-74.