ERIC Number: EJ1489873
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1367-0050
EISSN: EISSN-1747-7522
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Exploring Cross-Language Transfer among Children in Multilingual Education: A Longitudinal Study in Luxembourg
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, v28 n4 p415-430 2025
This longitudinal study explores cross-language transfer among children attending multilingual public schools in Luxembourg, where Luxembourgish is the instruction language in preschool and German the language of instruction in elementary school. Following 132 children from preschool (age 5) to grade 2 (age 7), annual assessments were conducted to evaluate their vocabulary proficiency in both Luxembourgish and German. Bilingual learners were systematically classified based on theoretically motivated criteria, encompassing home language background and Luxembourgish language proficiency. Longitudinal analyses were carried out employing linear mixed models and multigroup path modeling, targeting both monolinguals and various groups of bilingual learners. The results provide robust support for the presence of cross-language transfer between Luxembourgish and German. Notably, Luxembourgish vocabulary proficiency in preschool emerged as a significant predictor of subsequent German proficiency for both monolingual and bilingual learners. Furthermore, bilingual learners with lower Luxembourgish vocabulary in preschool exhibited compromised German vocabulary in elementary school. These findings underscore the importance of cross-language transfer theories and their implications for multilingual education practices in Luxembourg.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, German, Indo European Languages, Bilingual Students, Longitudinal Studies, Preschool Children, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Language Proficiency, Educational Practices, Bilingual Education, Second Language Learning, Elementary Education, Second Language Instruction, Language of Instruction, Native Language
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Grade 1; Grade 2
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Luxembourg
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Institute for Research on Multilingualism, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; 2School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Peer reviewed
Direct link
