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Article published In: Emerging Issues in Content-Based Minority Language Immersion Education Contexts
Edited by Laurent Cammarata and Pádraig Ó Duibhir
[Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education 13:1] 2025
► pp. 31–54

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Majority and minority language elementary school children with and without reading difficulties in a regular foreign language and an immersion program

An exploratory study

ORCiD logo with link | Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
ORCiD logo with link | Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.

Published online: 28 January 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.24002.ste
Abstract
In Germany, the number of bilingual elementary schools, in which subjects are taught in a foreign language (FL), is on the rise. While previous research highlights advantages for typically developing students in such programs, little is known about at-risk learners, including those with reading difficulties (RD), affecting 5–10% of all German school children. This exploratory study investigates FL English abilities in 359 Year 4 elementary school students by comparing minority (L2) and majority language (L1) students with and without RD in a partial immersion (IM) and a regular (EFL) program. Students with RD (n = 95) were identified through a standardized German reading test and cognitive tests. Results showed no impact of language background on English tests, but teaching program was identified as a significant predictor, with IM students outperforming EFL peers, irrespective of RD. These preliminary findings indicate that students with RD may benefit from IM programs, possibly due to increased literacy activities.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Foreign language elementary school programs in Germany
    • 1.2Minority language students in foreign language programs
    • 1.3Dyslexia in foreign language programs
    • 1.4Dyslexic students with a minority language background in FL programs
    • 1.5Research questions
  • 2.Method
    • 2.1The school
    • 2.2Procedure
    • 2.3The participants
    • 2.4Test materials
      • 2.4.1Control variables
      • 2.4.2German reading test
      • 2.4.3English tests
    • 2.5Data analyses
    • 2.6Classification of students with reading difficulties (RD)
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Results of the English tests
    • 3.2Regression analyses
  • 4.Discussion
    • 4.1Effects of teaching program (i.e., FL intensity)
    • 4.2Effects of language background
    • 4.3Effects of different English tests
  • 5.Limitations
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References
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