Investigating the effects of linguistic distance on German and English reading and mathematics among fifth-graders in Germany

Multilingual classrooms are becoming more common around the globe following increased migration and mobility. Multilingual learners have to overcome potential language barriers across the curriculum as the majority language remains the point of reference for learners across subjects. Analytically, multilingualism is often mapped in terms of categories (L1/L2), but a linguistic distance can provide additional information for teaching practice. Little research has considered the impact of linguistic distances from students' L1s to the language of instruction and foreign languages, particularly in immigrant language contexts.

This study investigates how linguistic distances affect German L1 speakers and multilingual learners' (Lx) (N = 3,307) attainment of German reading, English reading, and Mathematics in grade 5. We used mixed-effects models to examine the role of linguistic distance while rigorously controlling for individual learner characteristics focused on language and students' socioeconomic status, including sex, multilingual status, born abroad, cultural capital, own room, own computer, and household income.

Results suggest that lexical linguistic distance is a significant factor in predicting German and English reading scores as well as Mathematics achievement. Pedagogical implications and considerations to bridge linguistic distances are discussed.

Educational relevance statement

Classrooms worldwide are increasingly diverse concerning languages and cultures represented in the student body. Educators and researchers alike still categorize students into two groups: native and non-native speakers. However, the latter group is highly diverse. Linguistic distance measurements enable us to investigate the association of language differences to the language of instruction and break apart the two groups. The more distant the family language is from the language of instruction, the more pronounced the disparities become. The results demonstrate that linguistic diversity is not addressed adequately, with implications for teacher training and professional development as well as curriculum development.