View in EDS

Moving Cross-Language Transfer from Hypothesis to Causal Evidence: Effects of First-Language Reading Skills on Second-Language Reading Development in Ghana

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Moving Cross-Language Transfer from Hypothesis to Causal Evidence: Effects of First-Language Reading Skills on Second-Language Reading Development in Ghana
Language: English
Authors: Wael Moussa, Jeongmin Lee (ORCID 0000-0002-7894-1551)
Source: American Educational Research Journal. 2026 63(3):544-574.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 31
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Second Language Learning, Bilingual Students, Reading Skills, Elementary School Students, Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence, Decoding (Reading), Native Language, Reading Instruction, Literacy Education, Language Role
Geographic Terms: Ghana
DOI: 10.3102/00028312261416515
ISSN: 0002-8312
1935-1011
Abstract: In multilingual countries, debates about language policy in education persist. Many countries adopt a transitional bilingual approach in which children are taught to read in their first language (L1) as a subject before instruction shifts to an official language (L2) such as English. This model rests on the premise that L1 mastery aids L2 learning. Yet, most supporting evidence is correlational. We used an instrumental variable design to examine the causal effects of children's L1 reading proficiency on L2 reading development with data from 4,352 children aged 5-13 years in Ghana. Results showed that L1 reading proficiency positively impacts basic L2 skills such as letter-sound recognition, but the effect diminishes for decoding pseudowords and becomes nonsignificant for reading fluency, suggesting inconsistent cross-language transfer.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505174
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1505174
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Moving Cross-Language Transfer from Hypothesis to Causal Evidence: Effects of First-Language Reading Skills on Second-Language Reading Development in Ghana
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wael+Moussa%22">Wael Moussa</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jeongmin+Lee%22">Jeongmin Lee</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7894-1551">0000-0002-7894-1551</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22American+Educational+Research+Journal%22"><i>American Educational Research Journal</i></searchLink>. 2026 63(3):544-574.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 31
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Second+Language+Learning%22">Second Language Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bilingual+Students%22">Bilingual Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Skills%22">Reading Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phoneme+Grapheme+Correspondence%22">Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decoding+%28Reading%29%22">Decoding (Reading)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Native+Language%22">Native Language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Instruction%22">Reading Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Literacy+Education%22">Literacy Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Role%22">Language Role</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ghana%22">Ghana</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.3102/00028312261416515
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0002-8312<br />1935-1011
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: In multilingual countries, debates about language policy in education persist. Many countries adopt a transitional bilingual approach in which children are taught to read in their first language (L1) as a subject before instruction shifts to an official language (L2) such as English. This model rests on the premise that L1 mastery aids L2 learning. Yet, most supporting evidence is correlational. We used an instrumental variable design to examine the causal effects of children's L1 reading proficiency on L2 reading development with data from 4,352 children aged 5-13 years in Ghana. Results showed that L1 reading proficiency positively impacts basic L2 skills such as letter-sound recognition, but the effect diminishes for decoding pseudowords and becomes nonsignificant for reading fluency, suggesting inconsistent cross-language transfer.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1505174
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1505174
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3102/00028312261416515
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 31
        StartPage: 544
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Second Language Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bilingual Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decoding (Reading)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Native Language
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Literacy Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Role
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ghana
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Moving Cross-Language Transfer from Hypothesis to Causal Evidence: Effects of First-Language Reading Skills on Second-Language Reading Development in Ghana
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Wael Moussa
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jeongmin Lee
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0002-8312
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1935-1011
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 63
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: American Educational Research Journal
              Type: main
ResultId 1