Associations of students’ linguistic distance to the language of instruction and classroom composition with English reading and listening skills

Abstract Globally classrooms are increasingly linguistically diverse. Research often oversimplifies lived linguistic heterogeneity as binary variables: native versus non-native. Linguistic distance (LD) measures allow a fine-grained operationalization of diversity in foreign language education. This study investigated associations cognate LDs students’ home languages and classroom with English Foreign Language skills. Data were collected from diverse sample 5,130 Year 5 students Germany. Mixed-effects linear models confirmed our hypotheses that higher individual proportion multilingual learners per both independently associated lower proficiency. Multilingual to more heterogeneous had The results emphasize the need assess LD research better differentiate between students. seem not address adequately readjust their focus meet learners’ needs.