How first-language instruction transfers to majority-language skills

Area of Science:

• Education
• Developmental Psychology
• Sociolinguistics

Background:

• Increasing immigrant populations necessitate effective educational strategies for children.
• Limited research exists on first-language instruction's impact on academic and majority-language outcomes.
• Understanding the transferability of first-language skills to majority-language proficiency is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of first-language instruction on immigrant children's school engagement.
• To examine the transfer of first-language instruction benefits to majority-language skills.
• To assess the role of an asset-based approach in educational interventions.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 230 children (average age 7.1 years) in Denmark.
• Implementation of an asset-based approach valuing students' linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
• Assessment of behavioral problems, school satisfaction, parental engagement, and language skills.

Main Results:

• First-language instruction reduced behavioral problems and increased school satisfaction and parental engagement.
• No immediate improvement in spoken first-language skills was observed.
• Significant improvement in majority-language reading skills one year post-intervention, with reduced behavioral issues explaining half the gains.

Conclusions:

• An asset-based approach to first-language instruction can positively impact immigrant children's school experience.
• First-language instruction can indirectly lead to enhanced majority-language skills.
• Valuing students' linguistic backgrounds is key to successful educational integration and academic achievement.