Reading-Writing Connections Among Second Language Learners: Moving Beyond Cross-Language Transfer in a Single Modality

• In Event: The Interrelation of Literacy Skills Across Languages: Reading-Writing Connections in Monolinguals and Bilinguals

Abstract

The close link between reading and writing abilities has been supported by a sizable body of research among monolingual learners (e.g., Shanahan, 2016). There is considerable evidence supporting both directional and bidirectional models for monolingual learners (e.g., Shanahan & Lomax, 1986; Graham & Hebert, 2011). In other words, the well-established reading-writing connection (Fitzgerald & Shanahan, 2000) provides strong theoretical and evidence-based support for reading as an opportunity to teach core-writing skills. This is particularly critical as only 27% of 8th graders who took the NAEP Writing Assessment were considered proficient (NCES, 2012). Further, despite the well-established reading-writing relation among monolingual speakers, this relation may not be the same for second language (L2) learners, whose reading and writing develop with increased complexity. Unlike monolingual speakers, the literacy development for L2 learners is a cross-linguistic process encompassing two languages. Moreover, in the United States, second language learners often struggle the most with literacy achievement (Hussar et al., 2020). As such, I sought to examine relations between reading and writing both within learners’ L2 and across languages through a systematic review of the published literature.
Two theoretical approaches must be considered to investigate the cross-language transfer of reading and writing. While the Shared Cognition Model (Fitzgerald, 1990) and the Sociocognitive Model (Rubin, 1984) seek to explain the reading-writing connection (e.g., Spanish reading to Spanish writing), the Linguistic Interdependence Hypothesis, Threshold Hypothesis (Cummins, 1979, 1981) and Transfer Facilitation Model (Koda, 2008) focus on cross language transfer in a single modality (e.g., Spanish reading to English reading). Together, these theoretical approaches allow for the investigation of reading-writing relations within and across L2 learners’ first and second languages.
The literature search was conducted using PsycInfo, ERIC, and Google Scholar. The current study’s final sample consisted of 24 total studies with 20 studies examining reading-writing connections within a L2, 12 studies investigating cross-language relations, and 8 studies examining both reading-writing connections in L2 and cross-language relations.
L2 reading-writing relations literature provided foundational evidence of the L2 reading-writing relation. L2 evidence aligns with both the Sociocognitive and Shared Cognition Models of reading-writing connections. However, the reading-writing association in L2 is not as consistent as reported in studies of monolinguals. Differences in reading and writing measures, age of participants, languages spoken by L2 learners, and L2 proficiency are thought to account for the increased variability in the L2 reading-writing connection.
Several cross-language reading-writing relations studies found an association between L1 reading and L2 writing, L1 writing and L2 reading, L2 writing and L3 reading, as well as L3 writing and L2 reading, with variability of results due to differences in study design, ages and grades of the participants, literacy measures, and linguistic distance. Results provide evidence of L2 and cross-language reading-writing connection.

Author

• Ye Shen, The Ohio State University