This study examined whether the linguistic distance between first (L1) and second (L2) language is a significant determinant of L2 writing skills 292 adult immigrants from 39 different source countries, who were beginner learners Spanish L2. Gender, age, length residence in Spain, education level as proxy for literacy L1, enrolment courses, overall communicative competence also considered. Usin...

in this paper, i attempt to bring together approaches to literacy in theory and in practice, drawing upon various activities i have been involved in over the years–research in iranian villages during the 1970s; linking research and theory to literacy policy, with particular reference to a contribution to the unesco global monitoring report in 2004 and involvement in an ongoing adult literacy tr...

Abstract Widespread use of the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) in L2 studies individual differences implicitly assumes that aptitude is a distinct cognitive facet. There considerable evidence for prediction from L1 abilities to learning. In this longitudinal study, L1-MLAT-L2 relations were examined 307 US secondary students based on six and measures language literacy, MLAT. Mediation regr...

writing has long been perceived as a core academic literacy skill necessary for students studying in American universities to achieve academic success, yet limited research has been conducted with regards to the actual summary writing tasks that L2 writers encounter across the curriculum. To fill in this gap, this qualitative study examined the summary writing experiences and practices of a gro...

This article examines the function of wired literacy and rejects skeptical accusations that it is just empty talk. Selected Malay blog entries and follow-up emails will be examined to show that wired literacy simulates asynchronous learning support. The infusion of wired literacy with new learning through the use of blogging, it is argued, engenders effective self-paced language learning. Withi...

Different writing systems in the world select different units of spoken language for mapping. Do these writing system differences influence how first language (L1) literacy experiences affect cognitive processes in learning to read a second language (L2)? Two groups of college students who were learning to read English as a second language (ESL) were examined for their relative reliance on phon...

Much work has examined whether deaf and hearing individuals’ reading strategies are qualitatively different, under the assumption that such differences might account for discrepancies in levels of reading achievement (cf., Allen 1986; Gallaudet Research Institute 2005; Holt 1994; Karchmer and Mitchell 2003; Traxler 2000; Wauters et al. 2006). While generalizing over the performance of deaf read...

Drawing on Cummins' (1989) linguistic interdependence model, proponents of bilingual-bicultural models of literacy education for deaf students claim that, if ASL is well established as the L1, then literacy in English (L2) can be achieved by means of reading and writing without exposure to English through either speech or English-based sign. In our opinion, this claim is based on a false analog...