Cross-Language Transfer of Reading Comprehension: A Meta-Analysis of Correlational Strength and Moderators

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Language and Literacy Development in Multilingual Contexts

Abstract

This meta-analysis examined the strength and moderators of cross-language transfer between first language (L1) and second language (L2) reading comprehension. It synthesized 69 effect sizes from 50 independent studies, encompassing 26,135 participants. Results showed a moderate overall correlation (r = .42) between L1 and L2 comprehension. Meta-regression using robust variance estimation identified five significant moderators: reading developmental stage (with transfer potentially peaking during adolescence), presence of a shared writing system, and three L2 assessment features—visual support, sentence-level inclusion, and varied comprehension granularity. These findings support established cross-language transfer frameworks and demonstrate how learner development and test design influence observed transfer. The study informs bilingual assessment and instruction, emphasizing the importance of leveraging L1 strengths and optimizing L2 measurement sensitivity.

Authors

• Xizi Zhang, University of California - Los Angeles

• Alison L. Bailey, University of California - Los Angeles