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No Half Measures: Reading Instruction for Young Second‐Language Learners
Author(s) -
Lenters Kimberly
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
the reading teacher
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.642
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1936-2714
pISSN - 0034-0561
DOI - 10.1598/rt.58.4.2
Subject(s) - neuroscience of multilingualism , reading (process) , dual language , psychology , literacy , language proficiency , bilingual education , mathematics education , diversity (politics) , cognition , second language attrition , transfer of training , point (geometry) , linguistics , pedagogy , comprehension approach , language education , cognitive psychology , sociology , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , neuroscience , anthropology
Consideration of literacy practices that ensure success for young second‐language learners has become crucial for educators, given the growing linguistic diversity in an ever‐increasing number of regions, the limited resources of school systems, and the swirling public debate on bilingual education. This article explores principles regarding bilingualism and the young child as a means of untangling the occasionally conflicting interpretations found in the research. The picture that emerges from the discussion is that children experience important cognitive (in addition to affective) gains through bilingualism. These gains, however, are experienced only when both languages are developed to a point of proficiency so that transfer can take place between the two. It is this dual proficiency that we must keep in mind when we consider reading instruction for young second‐language learners. In general, the development of this proficiency dictates that throughout their primary school years, bilingual children should receive dual‐language instruction, with no half measures in either language. These specific findings also provide some guidelines for undertaking second‐language reading instruction with young children.