Cross-Linguistic Transfer of Reading Skills in Spanish/English Bilinguals

• In Event: Understanding the Reading Development of Bilingual Students

Abstract

This systematic review aims to synthesize the literature on the effects of cross-linguistic transfer on Spanish/English bilinguals' reading comprehension skills. The search yielded at least 90 studies in which participants were Spanish/English bilinguals aged birth to Grade 12. Researchers assessed participants' decoding and/or linguistic comprehension skills in one of the target languages (i.e., English and Spanish) and their reading comprehension skills in the other language (e.g., cross-linguistic transfer). Included is an analysis of the research methodologies implemented in the identified studies and the assessments used to measure bilinguals' language and literacy development. Preliminary meta-analytic findings comparing studies that implemented methods that allow for causal inferences to those that provided only correlations will be included.

Authors

• Tim T. Andress, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Doris Luft Baker, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Marc Goodrich, Texas A&M University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Feuer, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Yixian Huang, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Lauren Thayer, Texas A&M University
  Non-Presenting Author